Pakistan Latest News Update April 2025: Kashmir Attack, Indus Waters Treaty Suspension, India-Pakistan Tensions, Bullet Train Launch, Protests in Karachi"

Pakistan News Today: Tensions, Water Dispute & Infrastructure

In late April 2025, a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir claimed 26 Indian tourists, which India has linked to Pakistani groups, sparking a sharp escalation in bilateral tensions.¹

1. Weaponizing Water: Indus Waters Treaty Suspended

In retaliation, India announced it would place the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty “in abeyance,” threatening Pakistan’s agrarian economy that depends on these rivers for over 80% of its irrigation.¹

The Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has survived multiple wars but is now undermined by India’s halt to data sharing and potential dam projects upstream.²

Pakistan has called India’s move an “act of war,” warning that any diversion of flow will be met with full force.³

2. Military Posturing & Border Skirmishes

Indian forces have launched extensive searches for militants in the Pahalgam region, while cross-border exchanges of fire have been reported for consecutive days.⁴

Pakistan, in turn, paused all bilateral agreements, suspended trade and closed its airspace to Indian carriers.⁵

The UN Security Council issued a condemnation of the attack, but Pakistan and its ally China successfully diluted the language.⁶

3. Domestic Fallout & Water Protests

Back home, large-scale protests erupted in Sindh over a controversial canal irrigation project, forcing the federal government to hit “pause” on new canal construction.⁷

Protesters fear the new canals would divert historically allocated flows, threatening local agriculture and livelihoods.⁸

4. Infrastructure Ambitions: Bullet Train & Air Punjab

Amid the crisis, Punjab’s provincial government announced Pakistan’s first bullet train project between Lahore and Rawalpindi—slashing travel time to just over two hours.⁹

Alongside, the “Air Punjab” regional airline initiative was unveiled to boost domestic connectivity within the next year.¹⁰

Technical feasibility studies are underway with international partners, aiming for implementation by late 2026.¹¹

5. Economic Ripples & External Financing

Pakistan’s Finance Minister also confirmed requests to expand a 40 billion yuan swap line with China, seeking to stabilize reserves amid regional uncertainty.¹²

Meanwhile, Islamabad awaits IMF board approval for a $1.3 billion climate resilience loan critical to sustaining agriculture under a looming water crisis.¹

Conclusion

The late-April 2025 crisis underscores how traditional security flashpoints like Kashmir now intertwine with resource diplomacy—especially water—and infrastructure ambitions. As Pakistan navigates both external pressure and domestic protests, the coming months will test the resilience of regional treaties and the nation’s ability to fund its growth amid geopolitical strain.

Footnotes

1. “Panic in Pakistan as India vows to cut off water supply over Kashmir,” Reuters, Apr 27 2025. link
2. “What is the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan?” Reuters, Apr 24 2025. link
3. “Kashmir attack: Does India’s Indus Waters Treaty freeze threaten Pakistan?” Al Jazeera, Apr 24 2025. link
4. “India hunts militants in Kashmir as tensions with Pakistan soar,” Reuters, Apr 25 2025. link
5. “What steps have India, Pakistan taken against each other after Kashmir attack?” Reuters, Apr 24 2025. link
6. “Pakistan calls for ‘neutral’ investigation into Kashmir attack,” Al Jazeera, Apr 26 2025. link
7. “Pakistan pauses key canal irrigation project,” Reuters, Apr 24 2025. link
8. “Why Pakistan has put its ambitious canals project on hold,” Indian Express, Apr 24 2025. link
9. “Punjab announces bullet train for Lahore-Rawalpindi route,” Pak Observer, Apr 27 2025. link
10. “Punjab to launch Air Punjab and Pakistan's first bullet train,” Express Tribune, Apr 26 2025. link
11. “Punjab to launch bullet train for Lahore-Rawalpindi route,” Railway Supply, Apr 27 2025. link
12. “Pakistan requests extra 10 billion yuan on China swap line,” Reuters, Apr 26 2025. link
13. “Kashmir attack live: ‘Harshest response’ to Pahalgam assault – India’s Modi,” Al Jazeera, Apr 27 2025. link
14. “Pakistan pauses controversial canals project amid protests in Sindh,” Arab News, Apr 24 2025. link
15. “Pakistan expels over 80,000 Afghan nationals ahead of deadline,” Reuters, Apr 18 2025. link