Is Indus Waters Treaty deadlock hurting Pakistan? Karachi reels under chronic water shortage

With the Indus Waters Treaty remaining in abeyance, adding to Pakistan's water-security concerns, the country's financial capital, Karachi, is now grappling with a severe water shortage amid the peak summer season.Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman launched a sharp attack on rival political party Pakistan People's Party (PPP), accusing it of gross mismanagement of the worsening water crisis. The Jamaat also alleged that the PPP-led provincial government had failed to address Karachi's chronic water shortages despite being in power for years.The crisis has come at a particularly sensitive time, coinciding with Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid) celebrations across the country.Pakistan is already facing mounting pressure following India's punitive measures taken in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in South Kashmir.Speaking to journalists on Eid, Hafiz Naeem said Karachi residents continued to observe religious traditions despite growing civic challenges, ARY News reported. He noted that Jamaat-e-Islami had organised collective sacrifice arrangements at more than 150 locations across the city, calling it a longstanding initiative that helps strengthen the party's connection with local communities.

Raising concerns over the deepening water crisis, the JI chief said thousands of residents were struggling to secure basic necessities during the Eid holidays. He blamed the PPP-led Sindh government for failing to deliver essential public services and questioned why Karachi's water woes remained unresolved despite the party's 18-year rule in the province.Hafiz Naeem also targeted the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, alleging that the agency had failed to ensure proper sanitation and disposal of sacrificial animal waste despite receiving a budget of Rs 43 billion.

He accused the provincial administration of widespread mismanagement and claimed public funds were not being used effectively.The Jamaat-e-Islami leader further disputed Karachi mayor Murtaza Wahab's assertion that the city was not facing a water shortage.Meanwhile, Karachi's water crisis has continued to worsen, with nearly 70 per cent of the city reportedly experiencing extended supply disruptions, according to ARY News. Residents in several areas have been forced to rely on expensive private water tankers amid soaring temperatures.Localities such as Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Azizabad, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and North Karachi have reportedly been facing acute shortages for over two weeks, the report added.