IWT violations by India cast shadow over water tourism in Azad Kashmir

As summer approaches, families across Pakistan prepare for their annual journeys to the cool and scenic valleys of Azad Kashmir where cascading waterfalls, glacial lakes, and pine-covered mountains offer a brief escape from the heat

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2026) As summer approaches, families across Pakistan prepare for their annual journeys to the cool and scenic valleys of Azad Kashmir where cascading waterfalls, glacial lakes, and pine-covered mountains offer a brief escape from the heat.

But this year, a growing sense of unease threatens to overshadow water tourism in Azad Kashmir due to illegal abeyance of IWT by India in April last year.

Concerns over India’s illegal move to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance have sparked fears not just among policymakers and experts, but among ordinary tourists and local communities whose lives revolve around water.

For people like Peshawar-based lecturer Ahtisam Qaiser, the trip to Azad Kashmir is more than a vacation but it is a cherished ritual to enjoy the breathtaking waterfalls of Azad Kashmir besides exploring its awesome lakes.

“Every summer, I travel with my family to explore the mesmerizing lakes and waterfalls of Neelum and Rawalakot In Azad Kashmir,” he said while packing for a week-long journey. “It’s about joy, peace, and reconnecting with nature.”

His itinerary reads like a love letter to Kashmir’s natural beauty and its emerald waters of Ratti Gali Lake, the tranquil shores of Banjosa Lake, and the challenging trek to Chitta Katha Lake. These destinations, along with lesser-known gems like Patlian and Zalzal lakes, draw thousands of visitors and water sports lovers each summer.

Yet beneath the excitement lies a quiet worry due to recent reduction of water flow in Chanab river by India. “If water flows in western rivers are reduced, these places could lose their charm,” Ahtisam said. “When there is no water, there is no tourism, meaning poverty and unemployment in rural areas.”

“Nature, food and water are at risk due to IWT repeated violations by the RSS backed Hinduvata regime,” he said.

Azad Kashmir’s tourism industry is deeply tied to its waterways. In the lush valleys of Neelum and Hattian Bala, waterfalls like Jamgar Waterfall and Cham Waterfall are not just scenic attractions but they are lifelines for local economies.

Visitors flock to these sites for picnics, trekking, water rafting and adventure sports, supporting small businesses, guides, transport operators, and hotel owners to earn livelihood for their families.

Ahtisam recalled standing before Jamgar Waterfall, surrounded by towering deodar trees and snow-capped peaks last year that added to his family’s joy. “The entire track is forested, and the scenery of lakes and waterfalls in Azad Kashmir are breathtaking,” he said.

But experts warned that reduced water flow in western rivers namely Sindh, Chanab and Jehlum could dry up such sites, damaging biodiversity, aquatic resources and destabilizing fragile ecosystems amid climate change and global warming that increased melting of glaciers in Hamalya region.

Beyond natural beauty, water and mountains sports, the stakes are deeply human. Thousands of families in Azad Kashmir depend on tourism for their income.

From roadside tea vendors to trekking guides and horse riders to photographers, the flow of visitors and water keeps the region alive.

“Tourism is directly linked to smooth flow of water in Azad Kashmir that help create livelihoods for many,” said Ahtisam who visited Azad Kashmir three times before. “If the lakes shrink or waterfalls disappear, people will lose jobs and poverty will increase.”

Meanwhile legal expert Noman Bukhari emphasized that the treaty has long served as a rare example of cooperation between Pakistan and India and no state could suspend or hold it in abeyance unilaterally.

“The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has survived wars and political tensions,” he said. “Undermining it threatens not just legal norms, but regional stability.”

Following the International Court of Arbitration’s ruling, India has lost all legal grounds and it can’t violate IWT further. He said Pakistan's stand on IWT was accepted by the International Court that declared that the historic treaty was still intact.

Academics and analysts viewed the water issue as extending beyond tourism. Professor Dr Zahid Anwar from the University of Peshawar described the situation as a serious challenge with far-reaching consequences for the region.

He accused New Delhi of material breaches of the IWT that may have serious consequences for regional stability, citing unusual, abrupt variations in the flow of Chenab river from April 30 to May 21 and from December 7 to December 15 last year.

“These variations in water flows are of extreme concern for Pakistan as they point to unilateral release of water by India into River Chenab. India has released this water without any prior notification or any data- or information-sharing with Pakistan as required under the treaty,” he said.

This water manipulation by India occurs at a critical time in Pakistan’s agriculture cycle especially of wheat and directly threatens the lives and livelihoods as well as food and economic security of its citizens.

“Water is the lifeline of Pakistan,” he said. “Any disruption affects agriculture, food security, and the daily lives of millions.”

He warned that environmental degradation, water shortages, water pollution and even flooding risks could emerge if the treaty framework weakens. As Ahtisam and his family set off toward Muzaffarabad and the breathtaking valleys beyond, the thrill and excitement of discovery is tinged with concern amid IWT violations.

For now, the waterfalls still flow, and the lakes still shimmer under the summer sun. Children will laugh along riverbanks, and travelers will pause to take in the mountain air.

But the future of this paradise may depend on decisions made far beyond its valleys.

And for those who return year after year for water and adventure tourism, the hope is simple that the waters of Azad Kashmir continue to flow, sustaining both its beauty and the lives intertwined with it.

APP/fam/