Rising border tensions between India and Pakistan; exchange of fire, water cut off from the Indus River and anti-Indian protests in Islamabad

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Border clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces have flared up again. According to Sputnik, Indian media reported on Friday that last night, Pakistani forces fired small arms at Indian positions along the border line.

 

Indian military sources announced that the shooting did not go unanswered and that Indian security forces responded decisively. Although there were no casualties in the clashes, the atmosphere in the region has once again become highly security-conscious.

 

At the same time, AFP, citing a Pakistani official, confirmed the exchange of fire between the two countries and warned of possible consequences.

 

Closing the Indus River gates; tension beyond the military border

Along with the armed clashes, the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad has entered a new and more worrying phase. Some sources have reported that the Indian government has closed all four gates of the Indus River dam that transferred water to Pakistan through dams and canals.

 

Experts have warned that this decision could deal a severe blow to Pakistan's agricultural sector. The provinces of Punjab and Sindh, known as the main centers of agricultural production in the country, are heavily dependent on the flow of the Indus River. The reduction in water could lead to reduced crops, a food crisis, rising prices and ultimately unemployment for thousands of farmers.

 

On the other hand, the interruption of water flow could also severely reduce Pakistan's hydroelectric power production and plunge the country into an energy crisis; A crisis that will directly affect industries, hospitals and people's daily lives.

 

Historical context of the tension over water

The water crisis between India and Pakistan has a long history. Since the signing of the "India-Pakistan Water Treaty" in 1960, mediated by the World Bank, the two countries have been obliged to share the water resources of the Indus River. But this agreement has not been able to prevent new crises, especially in a situation where political relations between the two countries are extremely tense.

 

The majority of the rivers that flow into Pakistan originate in Indian-controlled Kashmir, an issue that has become a lever of political and security pressure for New Delhi.

 

Anti-India demonstrations in Islamabad

In response to the escalation of tensions, hundreds of supporters of political parties in Pakistan held anti-India demonstrations in Islamabad's Red Zone yesterday. The protesters protested against what they called "India's aggressive policies" and demanded a serious response from the Pakistani government.

 

Pakistani security forces were heavily deployed to prevent protesters from entering the embassy compound, especially the Indian one.

 

According to the latest reports from international think tanks last month, India is investing in building new dams in Kashmir, with the aim of increasing control over water resources flowing to Pakistan. On the other hand, the Pakistani government has repeatedly called on the United Nations to intervene and prevent India from misusing shared water resources.

 

According to experts, the new confrontation between India and Pakistan is no longer just a border conflict, but has entered a phase of a “soft war” in the form of a water war with the interruption of water from the Indus River. Pakistan, whose economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and hydropower, will face a serious internal crisis if this situation continues.

 

At the same time, the continued exchange of fire and provocative actions by both sides pose the risk of escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers, a tension that threatens not only the region but also global security.