Pakistan Urges India to Reconsider Suspension of Indus Waters Treaty: Sources
Pakistan has requested India to revisit its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack, citing the potential for a water crisis, sources said.
India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty for the first time in history after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India’s highest body on national security, amid rising tensions with Pakistan. New Delhi held Islamabad responsible for backing the terrorists involved in the attack.
On Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position, stating, “The Indus Waters Treaty was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship… Pakistan has held these principles in abeyance by its promotion of cross-border terrorism for decades.”
According to sources, Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has written to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, appealing for reconsideration of the treaty suspension. The letter reportedly warned that halting the water-sharing pact could lead to a major crisis in Pakistan.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of waters from six rivers in the Indus basin. It has survived multiple wars and diplomatic stand-offs but is now under unprecedented strain.
In a televised address following Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended India’s suspension of the treaty. “Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot happen simultaneously. Water and blood cannot flow together,” he said.
Modi also stated that the only agenda for any future talks with Pakistan would be focused on terrorism and the return of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
