China has decided to speed up work on a major dam project in Pakistan after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of violating the treaty’s conditions and placed it in abeyance, affecting Pakistan’s access to key water resources.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, allows Pakistan to use water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India has rights over the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas. Nearly 80% of Pakistan’s drinking and irrigation water depend on the rivers covered under this treaty. India’s decision has raised concerns in Pakistan’s agricultural and industrial sectors, which are already facing water shortages.

In response, China announced it will speed up the construction of the Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The project, handled by the state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation, began in 2019 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2026. Chinese state media reported that concrete filling on the dam has now started, marking a major step toward faster development.

The Mohmand Dam is a multi-purpose project designed to generate 800 megawatts of electricity, supply 300 million gallons of drinking water daily to Peshawar, and help control floods in the region.The decision to speed up the dam project comes just before Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Beijing on Monday for discussions with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.

The dam’s acceleration shows China’s continued investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure and strategic sectors, especially as tensions rise between India and Pakistan over water and cross-border security issues. The development could deepen China-Pakistan ties while adding a new layer to regional geopolitics.