China fast-tracks Mohmand dam in Pakistan after India suspends Indus Waters Treaty

China has announced an accelerated push on the construction of a major dam project in Pakistan, just weeks after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

The state-run China Energy Engineering Corporation has been developing the Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since 2019. Originally scheduled for completion in 2026, the project is now being fast-tracked.

On Saturday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that concrete filling on the dam has commenced, calling it a “critical construction milestone” and marking the beginning of an accelerated development phase for what it described as a “national flagship project” of Pakistan.

More from World

'More than 20,000 lives lost': India cites Pak's support to terrorism at UN for Indus Water Treaty move How Indus Water Treaty suspension will deepen Pakistan’s political and economic crises

The development comes just ahead of a visit by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing on Monday, where he is expected to hold talks with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.

China’s move followed India’s announcement to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty after the deadly militant attack on tourists at Pahalgam on April 22.

The Mohmand dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is designed to serve as a multi-purpose facility for power generation, flood control, irrigation and water supply and is designed to generate an estimated 800MW of hydropower and supply 300 million gallons a day of drinking water to Peshawar, the capital and largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Under the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan has access to the waters of the Indus and Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India is entitled to use those from the eastern Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers.

Waters from the rivers constitute about 80 per cent of drinking and irrigation supplies to Pakistan.

Days after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India informed Pakistan of its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance with immediate effect, saying Pakistan has breached the conditions of the treaty.

With inputs from agencies