India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan following the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent people in April. Now, Afghanistan appears to be following India’s lead and has decided to cut off water supplies to Pakistan. The move comes just days after deadly clashes erupted along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, further escalating tensions between the two neighboring nations.
The Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is reportedly planning to construct dams on water bodies to restrict water flow to Pakistan. This is according to the Afghan Information Ministry.
As per multiple media reports, the order came from Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada.
In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Afghan Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor says, “Afghans have the right to manage their own.”
Pakistan-Afghanistan Clashes
Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s southeastern Paktika province, killing 17 people, including three Afghan cricketers.
ANI reported, citing Tolo News, that the airstrikes targeted residential areas in the Argun and Barmal districts, causing significant civilian casualties.
A ceasefire agreement was announced, as Qatar announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” with plans for follow-up talks to ensure its “sustainability.”
India’s Indus Water Treaty Suspension
On April 22, terrorists opened fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and killed 26 people. After this, The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the heinous attack only to withdraw the statement later.
Following this, India took several diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the IWT.
On the other hand, the Indian Armed Forces also launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Subsequently, New Delhi and Islamabad faced heightened military tensions. However, a cessation of hostilities was announced on May 10 after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart, asking for a ceasefire.
