Karachi: IBA Karachi convened a policy roundtable to examine the implications of India’s recent suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The event, titled “Indus Water Treaty in Perspective,” was organized by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the School of Economics and Social Sciences.
Experts at the roundtable raised concerns over the lack of institutional capacity in Pakistan to effectively engage with the technical and legal aspects of the treaty on a diplomatic level. While academic institutions teach water-related subjects, there is an urgent need to enhance expertise in international water law and transboundary water diplomacy.
The discussion also touched upon media narratives suggesting India’s ability to block water, which participants deemed technically unfeasible without large-scale infrastructure. Such claims, they argued, serve more as political tools than realities.
There was uncertainty expressed regarding the World Bank’s role in resolving the dispute. Without a clear institutional conflict resolution mechanism between India and Pakistan, the treaty’s capacity to address emerging challenges remains constrained.
Some experts cautioned against building new dams as a solution, pointing to Pakistan’s insufficient water stock and declining long-term water flow. The roundtable concluded with a call for establishing a multi-stakeholder working group under IBA-CBER to regularly discuss national and regional water strategies and provide actionable recommendations to modernize the Indus Water Treaty.
The session, moderated by Dr. Lubna Naz, Director of IBA-CBER, brought together government officials, journalists, and academicians. Notable participants included Mr. Muhammad Ehsan ul Haq Laghari, Mr. Shahab Usto, Mr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed, and other distinguished figures from various sectors.