If an inherently unequal water treaty is to endure, the direction of the Pakistan-India relationship needs to change towards respecting all bilateral commitments. Read: Petition in Supreme Court calls for scrapping of Indus Waters TreatyToday, Pakistan, refusing to accept international norms of interstate behaviour, demands rights without responsibilities. By reclaiming its basic right over the J&K rivers, India could fashion water as an instrument of leverage to bring Pakistan to heel. Even a 10% diminution in transboundary water flows would hurt Pakistan, whose debt-ridden economy is reliant on earnings from agricultural exports, especially water-intensive rice and cotton. For India, reclaiming its leverage in the Indus basin is a cheaper option to reform Pakistan’s behaviour than fighting a war.

Source: Hindustan Times September 27, 2016 15:45 UTC