Guwahati: Pakistani authorities have made multiple appeals to India since April, requesting a review of the decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.
The treaty, in place since 1960, was put in abeyance by India as part of a series of punitive measures following the attack, with New Delhi stating that Pakistan must “credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism” for the treaty to be reinstated.
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According to people familiar with the matter, Pakistan’s water resources secretary Syed Ali Murtaza has sent four letters to India’s Jal Shakti Ministry urging reconsideration of the suspension. Three of these communications reportedly followed India’s Operation Sindoor, an anti-terror operation launched after the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan maintains that India cannot unilaterally suspend the treaty, arguing that such a move violates the terms of the agreement. The appeals were in response to a formal notification dated April 24 from India’s water resources secretary, Debashree Mukherjee, informing Pakistan of the decision.
Mukherjee emphasized that while treaties must be honored in good faith, Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism undermines the foundation of the agreement.
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India has not responded to Pakistan’s letters and, according to officials, remains resolute in its stance. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated on April 29 that India would not engage in dialogue with Pakistan until it decisively ends its support for terrorism.
Since the suspension, India has ceased sharing hydrological data on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, which are allocated to Pakistan under the treaty. The water-sharing arrangement, which gives Pakistan access to 80% of the Indus system’s waters, is vital for its agriculture and economy.
Former Union water resources secretary Shashi Shekhar noted that Pakistan’s dependence on the Indus waters accounting for nearly a quarter of its GDP makes the situation highly sensitive. He warned that the suspension could trigger civil unrest.
Shekhar also revealed that he had advised suspending the treaty as early as 2016, but then-Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chosen to maintain the agreement, cautioning that while water should be used for benefit, “water and blood cannot flow together.”
Pakistani leaders have since responded with strong rhetoric, declaring that any reduction in water flows will be considered an “act of war.”
This marks the first time the Indus Waters Treaty has been suspended since its inception, despite having withstood four wars between India and Pakistan.