China speeds up work on "critical" dam project in Pakistan amid India's halt on Indus Waters Treaty

China has decided to fast-track work on a major dam in Pakistan, just weeks after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the dam project is seen as a flagship effort by Pakistan and is being built with China's help.

The state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation has been building the Mohmand Hydropower Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in north-western Pakistan since 2019. The project, which was originally set to finish next year, has now reached a major stage, as concrete filling work on the dam has begun.

China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV described this development as “a critical construction milestone” and said it marks a new phase of fast-paced progress on this national-level project.

The timing of this progress is notable, as it comes just before Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is due to visit Beijing on Monday to meet China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

India had recently put the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, stating that Pakistan had violated its terms, especially in light of the Pahalgam attack. Under the treaty, Pakistan has the right to use waters from the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India has rights over the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers.

These rivers provide nearly 80% of Pakistan’s water for drinking and farming needs.

The Mohmand dam is a multi-purpose project meant to generate 800 megawatts of electricity, control floods, and supply around 300 million gallons of clean water each day to Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The move by China appears to be a show of support for Pakistan during a sensitive time, especially as tensions between India and Pakistan remain high.

Inputs from PTI