PAKISTAN
Saleem Shahid
Published May 31, 2025
DAWN
QUETTA: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly has detected massive financial irregularities while reviewing the audit findings related to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and key infrastructure projects.
Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen, while presiding over the PAC meeting, uncovered unaccounted expenditures, violations of procurement laws, and delayed mega projects.
The meeting was attended by committee members engineers Zamrak Khan Achakzai, Zabid Ali Reki, Ghulam Dostgir Badini, Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, PHE Secretary Imran Gichki, DG Audit Balochistan Shuja Ali, Additional Accountant General Hafiz Noorul Haq, PAC Additional Secretary Siraj Lahri, Director Audit Dr Faiz Muhammad Jaffar, and Chief Accounts Officer Syed Idris. Opposition Leader Younis Aziz Zehri and Maulana Hidayatur Rahman were invited as special guests.
During the meeting, the DG audit presented a special audit report conducted in November 2022 covering the financial years from 2018 to 2021 for the PHE department, Gwadar.
The report revealed that the department incurred expenses exceeding Rs5.9 billion, however, significant amounts remained unaccounted for in official records, raising serious transparency concerns.
Audit shows over Rs5.9bn in unaccounted-for expenses between 2018 and 2021
It further disclosed that no income tax deductions were made on payments totaling nearly Rs240m, which were disbursed without legal deductions.
Work worth approximately Rs4.9bn was awarded to various companies without tenders, violating procurement laws. The audit also pointed to irregularities worth over Rs380m in schemes for water supply during drought conditions.
Irregularities were also found in the procurement of fuel, oil, lubricants, and repair materials. The executive engineer in Gwadar made multi-crore purchases from different companies without proper documentation, leading the committee to classify these expenditures as suspicious.
The members of the committee expressed strong reservations and demanded inquiry proceedings against responsible officers for failing to provide complete records.
Mr Tareen emphasised in his address that safeguarding public funds is a top priority and warned that anyone found misusing national resources would not be spared. He assured that while an opportunity for explanation would be given, strict action would follow if irregularities were confirmed.
Maulana Hidayatur Rahman, speaking on the occasion, criticised the Gwadar water project expenditures, stating billions had been spent but honest utilisation could have ensured water availability from Singapore by ship.
In his remarks, Fazal Qadir Mandokhail suggested referring the matter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), though other members advocated for full fact-finding before the chairman exercises his authority.
The meeting also reviewed the audit report of the Mangi Dam project, which was due to be completed in June 2022 but faced extraordinary delays and a 42 per cent cost overrun. The initial estimated cost of Rs7bn has now crossed to over Rs18bn. The audit attributed these issues to consultant inefficiency and poor planning, with key aspects ignored in the initial PC-1 document and recurring revision needs.
The DG audit reported that the department had not yet submitted any progress report on the project, drawing strong condemnation from the committee. PAC Chairman Tareen described this as an example of extreme institutional failure, pointing out that despite such a major project, public still live without access to clean drinking water.
He announced plans to personally visit the Mangi Dam site with committee members for on-ground assessment.
The project director informed the meeting that completion was possible by December 2025 if the required funds were released promptly. Mr Tareen decided to write to the Balochistan chief secretary to expedite fund release and warned of another special audit if the project fails to complete on time.
Further disclosures included that over 1.43 million litres of diesel were used to supply water to Gwadar, with fuel distributed to tankers without proper record keeping or storage details in logbooks, violating procurement rules.
The chairman stated that the committee would not only expose financial corruption but also initiate strict legal action to restore public trust in Balochistan’s governance.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025
‘Cold Start’ for collaboration
aisha@csccc.org.pk
Published May 31, 2025
DAWN
The writer is the chief executive of Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change.
THE Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is the subject of many ongoing discussions these days. A variety of opinions are being shared by people looking at the treaty through different lens.
However, the most important question remains whether India has the capacity to use water as a weapon of war against Pakistan. This at once gives a new dimension to the treaty, requiring a perspective that is not merely legal but also political, with many layers of complexities.
The IWT is not merely a treaty between an upper and lower riparian country. It is a treaty between two states that have gone to war many times previously, with no sign of any long-term cessation in hostilities. The IWT can be re-examined, taking into account the changes that have taken place since 1960 when it was signed. This includes both climatic factors and changes in the political landscape.
Climate change has already reduced the snow mass by 30 per cent in the upper Indus basin largely due to the depletion of wetlands, urbanisation, and glacier melt. This trend is likely to increase, causing a reduction in flow and a decrease in water availability as well as making water more contentious.
The political landscape has undergone a massive change after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2016 statement that water and blood cannot flow together.
Any discussion on the IWT will remain incomplete and unrealistic if it does not factor the above-mentioned points into the calculus. This also means that if both are not addressed simultaneously, water will remain a live threat looming over the fate of the region. The nuclear red line offers retaliatory action but is not a solution to the problem.
India’s plans for the Chenab are a matter of deep concern for Pakistan.
While accelerated melting and concomitant reductions in flows due to global warming are not within the management capacity of the two countries, both can, in the interest of peace, collaborate on issues related to water and security.
On the political front, the currently volatile situation is unsustainable, making water a source of continued regional tension. Having a single basin, a single river and being a lower riparian to a hostile upper riparian, Pakistan has reservations about discussing the treaty as it might derail the current arrangement without adding additional safeguards.
While the concern is legitimate, the country can propose a conversation that is built on the principles of ensuring sustainable flows and equitable water-sharing.
Supplementary protocols within the existing treaty and under the jurisdictional purview of the IWT commissioners can address issues like the permissible cumulative capacity for live storage, environmental flows, demographic changes, telemetric information-sharing, and most importantly, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of planned infrastructure as part of the discussion agenda.
After 2019, India has given an EIA exemption to all infrastructure being built within 100 kilometres of the LoC. While technical studies rule out the possibility of earthquakes getting triggered by the construction of dams in this highly seismic geography, it does not exclude the possibility of dams collapsing and causing massive losses to downstream communities.
Pakistan does not face any serious threat on the Jhelum River from India. Most people in India-occupied Kashmir have shifted from agriculture to horticulture which does not require large quantities of water. Moreover, diverting water in a mountainous territory for the construction of canals and tunnels is not easy. With its current capacity, India could delay the release of water by 16 to 24 hours at best. Beyond that, it risks flooding the whole area including big towns like Jammu.
However, India’s plans for the Chenab are a matter of deep concern for Pakistan. India started plans in 2016 to develop the capacity to weaponise water. This is being done by building capacity purely for storage to withhold water. These projects on the Chenab are not designed as hydroelectric projects but as military structures to use water as a weapon of war.
A discussion on the treaty will allow Pakistan to address issues that were not a concern in 1960 but which now pose an existential threat to the country. However, none of this will be possible without lowering tensions and improving the overall environment for a conducive conversation.
The 2022 Pakistan National Security Policy made a statement of intent to prioritise geo-economics, but circumstantial roadblocks prevented the agenda from moving forward.
Regional water security will hang in the balance till we untie the Gordian knot. This can be done by decoupling politics from other issues or reaching a collaborative arrangement on climate. Both nations need to take a cue from countries that are separating politics from the economy and moving forward with a new paradigm.
After 78 years of conflict, Pakistan and India need to realise that climate change is a bigger enemy and poses a greater threat to their survival. All contentious issues will become irrelevant in the face of the existential threat that confronts us.
We have a ‘Cold Start’ for conflict, but what we need is a ‘Cold Start’ for collaboration to be better prepared for a rapid response to combat the forces of nature.
The IWT will come under increasing pressure if political issues are not addressed. The treaty stood the test of time for 65 years because climate impacts had not become so threatening and political tensions had not mounted to the current incendiary levels. It is time for both countries to shift from a ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’ (MAD) to a ’Mutually Assured Survival Strategy (MASS). Passion in politics is a poisonous recipe for South Asia and its two billion inhabitants. It is time to pause, reflect and think about the future pragmatically.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025
THE Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is the subject of many ongoing discussions these days. A variety of opinions are being shared by people looking at the treaty through different lens.
However, the most important question remains whether India has the capacity to use water as a weapon of war against Pakistan. This at once gives a new dimension to the treaty, requiring a perspective that is not merely legal but also political, with many layers of complexities.
The IWT is not merely a treaty between an upper and lower riparian country. It is a treaty between two states that have gone to war many times previously, with no sign of any long-term cessation in hostilities. The IWT can be re-examined, taking into account the changes that have taken place since 1960 when it was signed. This includes both climatic factors and changes in the political landscape.
Climate change has already reduced the snow mass by 30 per cent in the upper Indus basin largely due to the depletion of wetlands, urbanisation, and glacier melt. This trend is likely to increase, causing a reduction in flow and a decrease in water availability as well as making water more contentious.
The political landscape has undergone a massive change after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2016 statement that water and blood cannot flow together.
Any discussion on the IWT will remain incomplete and unrealistic if it does not factor the above-mentioned points into the calculus. This also means that if both are not addressed simultaneously, water will remain a live threat looming over the fate of the region. The nuclear red line offers retaliatory action but is not a solution to the problem.
India’s plans for the Chenab are a matter of deep concern for Pakistan.
While accelerated melting and concomitant reductions in flows due to global warming are not within the management capacity of the two countries, both can, in the interest of peace, collaborate on issues related to water and security.
On the political front, the currently volatile situation is unsustainable, making water a source of continued regional tension. Having a single basin, a single river and being a lower riparian to a hostile upper riparian, Pakistan has reservations about discussing the treaty as it might derail the current arrangement without adding additional safeguards.
While the concern is legitimate, the country can propose a conversation that is built on the principles of ensuring sustainable flows and equitable water-sharing.
Supplementary protocols within the existing treaty and under the jurisdictional purview of the IWT commissioners can address issues like the permissible cumulative capacity for live storage, environmental flows, demographic changes, telemetric information-sharing, and most importantly, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of planned infrastructure as part of the discussion agenda.
After 2019, India has given an EIA exemption to all infrastructure being built within 100 kilometres of the LoC. While technical studies rule out the possibility of earthquakes getting triggered by the construction of dams in this highly seismic geography, it does not exclude the possibility of dams collapsing and causing massive losses to downstream communities.
Pakistan does not face any serious threat on the Jhelum River from India. Most people in India-occupied Kashmir have shifted from agriculture to horticulture which does not require large quantities of water. Moreover, diverting water in a mountainous territory for the construction of canals and tunnels is not easy. With its current capacity, India could delay the release of water by 16 to 24 hours at best. Beyond that, it risks flooding the whole area including big towns like Jammu.
However, India’s plans for the Chenab are a matter of deep concern for Pakistan. India started plans in 2016 to develop the capacity to weaponise water. This is being done by building capacity purely for storage to withhold water. These projects on the Chenab are not designed as hydroelectric projects but as military structures to use water as a weapon of war.
A discussion on the treaty will allow Pakistan to address issues that were not a concern in 1960 but which now pose an existential threat to the country. However, none of this will be possible without lowering tensions and improving the overall environment for a conducive conversation.
The 2022 Pakistan National Security Policy made a statement of intent to prioritise geo-economics, but circumstantial roadblocks prevented the agenda from moving forward.
Regional water security will hang in the balance till we untie the Gordian knot. This can be done by decoupling politics from other issues or reaching a collaborative arrangement on climate. Both nations need to take a cue from countries that are separating politics from the economy and moving forward with a new paradigm.
After 78 years of conflict, Pakistan and India need to realise that climate change is a bigger enemy and poses a greater threat to their survival. All contentious issues will become irrelevant in the face of the existential threat that confronts us.
We have a ‘Cold Start’ for conflict, but what we need is a ‘Cold Start’ for collaboration to be better prepared for a rapid response to combat the forces of nature.
The IWT will come under increasing pressure if political issues are not addressed. The treaty stood the test of time for 65 years because climate impacts had not become so threatening and political tensions had not mounted to the current incendiary levels. It is time for both countries to shift from a ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’ (MAD) to a ’Mutually Assured Survival Strategy (MASS). Passion in politics is a poisonous recipe for South Asia and its two billion inhabitants. It is time to pause, reflect and think about the future pragmatically.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025
Pakistan won’t allow India to cross IWT red line, PM Shehbaz tells int’l glaciers conference
APP | Dawn.com
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponisation of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, shortly after 26 civilians in India-held Kashmir were killed in what India called an act of terror.
Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident, but accord remains “in abeyance” by India despite the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreeing to a ceasefire this month following the worst fighting between them in decades.
After the April 22 attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered officials to expedite planning and execution of projects on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, three bodies of water in the Indus system that are designated primarily for Pakistan’s use, six people told Reuters.
The three-day International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation is being held in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe from May 29-31.
It is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general.
The event is being hosted by the Tajikistan government in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation.
“India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable,” PM Shehbaz said while addressing the conference.
“Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” he said.
During his address, PM Shehbaz touched upon all relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, the 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponisation of water and call to protect nature and humanity’s shared destiny.
“The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponisation of water,” PM Shehbaz observed.
He added that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus river system — “the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy”.
“The five great rivers that shape our geographical landscape—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej—all depend on the stability of glacial systems. This makes Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers,” he continued.
He told the gathering that Pakistan had faced the peril of glacial melt in the form of devastating floods in 2022 that destroyed millions of acres of standing crops, thousands of houses as well as infrastructure — despite the country contributing only less than half a per cent of the total world’s emissions and yet being one of the 10 most vulnerable countries.
He prayed that no other country faced such devastation, which necessitated a comprehensive plan and immediate implementation.
Referring to the “sobering” scientific projections, he highlighted that glacial melt in the country’s region was expected to accelerate flooding in the coming decades, followed by a drastic decline in river flows as glaciers recede further.
“These changes threaten our fragile ecosystem. As we inch closer to these grim new realities, we must heed the alarm bells, deflection signs of haunting consequences—lost livelihoods, displaced families, and deep chaos,” he warned.
Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to shared responsibility and collective action, he called for enhanced global climate action to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
“The developed countries must meet their climate financial commitments without any delay and with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation as well as loss and damage.
“Adequate funding for climate resilience, infrastructure, and overcoming financing gaps remains critical for climate-vulnerable countries,” the prime minister emphasised.
“Investment must be made in early warning systems and disaster preparedness and management.”
PM Shehbaz reflected on his childhood memories of swimming in the Ravi river, underscoring how rivers like Ravi and Tajikistan’s Vakhsh river, fed by glaciers, sustained life across regions, and that the shared water sources symbolised a common ecological destiny, requiring collective efforts for their preservation.
“Let us protect and preserve nature’s precious bounties for our planet and our peoples,” he urged.
The prime minister is currently returning to Pakistan after capping off his four-nation tour of friendly countries, state-run PTV News reported.
Earlier this week, the PM and his delegation, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Turkiye, Iran and Azerbaijan, expressing gratitude for their support during a recent military escalation with India.
On Wednesday, the PM took part in a trilateral summit with Turkiye and Azerbaijan. He reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to hold talks with India on the Kashmir dispute and counterterrorism, stressing New Delhi wanted the same “in all sincerity”.
APP | Dawn.com
Published May 30, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation in Dushanbe on May 30. — PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponisation of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, shortly after 26 civilians in India-held Kashmir were killed in what India called an act of terror.
Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident, but accord remains “in abeyance” by India despite the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreeing to a ceasefire this month following the worst fighting between them in decades.
After the April 22 attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered officials to expedite planning and execution of projects on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, three bodies of water in the Indus system that are designated primarily for Pakistan’s use, six people told Reuters.
The three-day International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation is being held in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe from May 29-31.
It is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general.
The event is being hosted by the Tajikistan government in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation.
“India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable,” PM Shehbaz said while addressing the conference.
“Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” he said.
During his address, PM Shehbaz touched upon all relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, the 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponisation of water and call to protect nature and humanity’s shared destiny.
“The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponisation of water,” PM Shehbaz observed.
He added that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus river system — “the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy”.
“The five great rivers that shape our geographical landscape—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej—all depend on the stability of glacial systems. This makes Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers,” he continued.
He told the gathering that Pakistan had faced the peril of glacial melt in the form of devastating floods in 2022 that destroyed millions of acres of standing crops, thousands of houses as well as infrastructure — despite the country contributing only less than half a per cent of the total world’s emissions and yet being one of the 10 most vulnerable countries.
He prayed that no other country faced such devastation, which necessitated a comprehensive plan and immediate implementation.
Referring to the “sobering” scientific projections, he highlighted that glacial melt in the country’s region was expected to accelerate flooding in the coming decades, followed by a drastic decline in river flows as glaciers recede further.
“These changes threaten our fragile ecosystem. As we inch closer to these grim new realities, we must heed the alarm bells, deflection signs of haunting consequences—lost livelihoods, displaced families, and deep chaos,” he warned.
Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to shared responsibility and collective action, he called for enhanced global climate action to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
“The developed countries must meet their climate financial commitments without any delay and with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation as well as loss and damage.
“Adequate funding for climate resilience, infrastructure, and overcoming financing gaps remains critical for climate-vulnerable countries,” the prime minister emphasised.
“Investment must be made in early warning systems and disaster preparedness and management.”
PM Shehbaz reflected on his childhood memories of swimming in the Ravi river, underscoring how rivers like Ravi and Tajikistan’s Vakhsh river, fed by glaciers, sustained life across regions, and that the shared water sources symbolised a common ecological destiny, requiring collective efforts for their preservation.
“Let us protect and preserve nature’s precious bounties for our planet and our peoples,” he urged.
The prime minister is currently returning to Pakistan after capping off his four-nation tour of friendly countries, state-run PTV News reported.
Earlier this week, the PM and his delegation, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Turkiye, Iran and Azerbaijan, expressing gratitude for their support during a recent military escalation with India.
On Wednesday, the PM took part in a trilateral summit with Turkiye and Azerbaijan. He reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to hold talks with India on the Kashmir dispute and counterterrorism, stressing New Delhi wanted the same “in all sincerity”.
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