India on Friday reaffirmed that its position on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains unchanged, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stating that the decades-old water-sharing pact will continue to remain in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably" ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
Responding to recent remarks by Pakistani leaders, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the suspension of the treaty was a direct consequence of Islamabad's continued sponsorship of terrorism.
“India's position on the Indus Water Treaty is consistent. The IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan's continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing.
The MEA's response came after Pakistan's Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik warned that Islamabad would "cut off those hands" that sought to control the flow of Indus waters to Pakistan.
Also read: Indus Waters Treaty: Pak Deputy PM writes to UNSC
According to Pakistani mediapersons, Malik alleged that India was attempting to stop water from reaching Pakistan under the treaty. "There is a tap being controlled by the prime minister of a neighbouring country. He says he will not let even a drop of water flow into Pakistan," Malik was quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also warned that any attempt by India to deprive Pakistan of its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty would amount to the "weaponisation of water" and could have serious consequences for regional peace and security.
India suspended the implementation of the 1960 treaty after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, maintaining that Pakistan's continued support for cross-border terrorism had fundamentally altered the basis of bilateral cooperation.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan. Despite several wars and prolonged diplomatic tensions, the agreement had remained operational for more than six decades.
The latest exchange reflects the continuing deterioration in ties between the two countries, with New Delhi maintaining that any future engagement on the treaty will depend on Pakistan taking credible and irreversible steps to end cross-border terrorism.
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