Pakistan, July 5 -- On the hottest day of the pre-monsoon week, the Jinnah Convention Centre filled with a rare mix: retired diplomats, glacier scientists, irrigation engineers, Sindh farmers, law students, and international observers. The banner above the stage read "Indus Waters Treaty: An Instrument of Peace & Regional Stability."

For six hours, the seminar convened by the Ministry of Information, in collaboration with Pakistan's leading think tanks and universities, asked one central question: Can a 66-year-old water agreement still serve as a buffer against conflict in South Asia? The answer from the floor was qualified but clear:

Yes, if it is defended through law, strengthened by data, and understood by the public.

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