By Ijaz Ahmad Khan
TORONTO: As dawn breaks over the banks of the River Indus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fish farmer Naseer Khan resumes his daily operations at a fish farm in Swabi district, burdened by rising alarm over India’s purported breaches of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that imperil aquatic life in the province.
While attending to routine tasks of feeding fish and maintaining ponds, he remains preoccupied with the potential fallout of India’s ongoing suspension of the landmark 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on Pakistan’s inland fisheries.
Beside his five-kanal fish farm, Naseer stressed that a steady and unhindered water supply is essential for preserving indigenous fish species, notably the valuable Mahseer and trout stocks, which flourish in the River Kabul and the glacier-fed tributaries of the Indus basin, respectively.
“Mahseer cultivation relies on clean and uninterrupted river currents,” he informed this correspondent. “Should curbs on the western rivers persist, fish stocks will shrink, jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands tied to this profession.”
Naseer expressed concern that Mahseer, Rohu, and other native fish species of the Indus and Kabul rivers may encounter grave risks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab if water flows become erratic.
“A decline in these species would not only undermine fishermen but also trigger food security concerns for populations that depend on fish as a low-cost protein source,” he noted.
Ayaz Khattak, former Director General of the Fisheries Department, cautioned that Mahseer and trout are among the most susceptible species when river ecosystems face prolonged disturbance.
“If water supply in the western rivers turns unpredictable, how will communities linked to fisheries endure?” he questioned.
Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, thousands of fishermen, aquaculturists, traders, transporters, and retailers depend on freshwater varieties such as Mahseer, Rohu, Carp, and Trout to satisfy year-round demand, particularly during wedding seasons and religious occasions.
Khattak argued that the continued suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has fostered instability among populations whose livelihoods are anchored in river-dependent resources.
“Water is more than an economic commodity; it is fundamentally connected to food production, nutrition, and sustenance,” he stated. “Any imbalance in riverine ecology can trigger wide-ranging effects on fisheries, agriculture, and public well-being.”
He warned that reduced water availability could damage fish spawning zones, migratory pathways, and aquatic biodiversity throughout Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Fisheries specialists maintain that Pakistan’s fisheries sector plays a vital role in rural employment and national revenue.
Khattak added that Pakistan ships fish and seafood to key global markets, including China, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Japan.
“Species like Mahseer and trout carry substantial commercial worth,” he said. “A drop in their numbers would hurt both local markets and foreign trade.”
Government data estimates Pakistan’s annual fish output at nearly 790,000 tons, with about 510,000 tons from marine fisheries and close to 280,000 tons from inland fisheries and aquaculture.
The industry contributes approximately 0.31 percent to national GDP and supports nearly one million people through direct and indirect jobs.
Concluded in 1960 by Pakistan’s President Field Marshal Ayub Khan and India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the IWT is widely regarded as one of the most resilient water-sharing accords globally.
Experts assert that any dilution of the treaty’s structure could yield consequences far beyond diplomatic tensions.
Dr. Ejaz Khan, former Chairman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, termed water security a question of national survival. “This is directly tied to food security, livelihoods, and the future of millions of Pakistanis,” he remarked.
“Around 80 percent of Pakistan’s farming depends on the Indus Basin irrigation network. Uncertainty in water flows affects crops, livestock, fisheries, and the wider economy.”
Dr. Ejaz noted that disturbances in river flows could lower agricultural yields, degrade fish habitats, and heighten stress on already fragile rural populations.
“Scarcity of water would impact wheat, rice, sugarcane, and vegetables, while also threatening fish species that require stable aquatic conditions,” he added.
Environmental experts cautioned that Mahseer and brown trout are extremely sensitive to shifts in water quality, temperature, and flow patterns.
“Mahseer cannot endure in contaminated or heavily disturbed habitats,” Dr. Ayaz said. “If the Indus, Jhelum, or Chenab face major restrictions, breeding cycles could be disrupted, causing sharp declines in populations.”
He explained that cold-water species such as brown trout, found in the rivers and streams of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern Pakistan, need consistent temperatures and stable flows.
“Any abrupt change or fluctuation in water levels can destroy spawning areas and endanger entire fish stocks,” he warned.
Experts also flagged growing ecological stress from pollution and climate change, already visible in river systems of Charsadda, Nowshera, and Peshawar.
“Damage one river and the entire ecological web collapses,” Khattak observed. “The impact spreads from fish to birds, wildlife, farming, and human settlements.”
Analysts believe prolonged uncertainty over water availability could worsen existing problems of food production and rural poverty.
Farmlands across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are heavily reliant on the Indus Basin for irrigation.
Orchards producing mangoes, citrus, peaches, bananas, and watermelons also require dependable water supplies.
For cultivators, beekeepers, livestock farmers, and fishermen already facing high costs, even slight interruptions in water supply can cut deeply into earnings.
“This is not just a diplomatic disagreement,” Dr. Ejaz stressed. “It may escalate into a wider food security crisis if water flows grow more uncertain.”
Experts emphasized that glacier-fed rivers stemming from the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush sustain millions across Pakistan. Any prolonged disturbance to these systems, they cautioned, would add further pressure on agriculture, fisheries, and vulnerable rural communities.
As anxiety grows among fish farmers like Naseer Khan, communities dependent on Pakistan’s river networks continue to watch developments closely, hoping that steady water flows will protect their livelihoods and the country’s rich aquatic biodiversity for future generations.
