Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has approached India to reconsider its recent decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty — a decades-old water-sharing agreement seen as a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The request was conveyed via a letter to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, it is learnt.
India decided to pause the 1960 treaty, originally brokered by the World Bank, in response to the April 22 terror attack near Pahalgam in Kashmir, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. The attack was carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, prompting India to suspend the treaty until Islamabad ceases to push cross-border terrorism.
Sources said that Pakistan’s letter has pointed out that India's move to halt the treaty could spark a water crisis within the country. The Ministry of Water Resources urged India to reconsider the decision owing to the implications for stability and civilian well-being.
On Tuesday, while addressing a press briefing, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had reiterated India’s position, stating that the Indus Waters Treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures" terrorism. The Indus Waters Treaty was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, as outlined in its preamble. However, Pakistan has betrayed these principles through its persistent promotion of cross-border terrorism over the decades,” MEA Spokesperson Rajiv Jaiswal said.
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This is the first time India has suspended the treaty since its inception in 1960. The unprecedented move was made by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the government’s top body on national security. The request from Pakistan has come shortly after both nations agreed to a ceasefire following Operation Sindoor — a four-day military flare-up along the borders that intensified tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
In his first televised address after Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised India’s hardened stance, saying there could be no cooperation or dialogue with Pakistan unless it dismantles its terror infrastructure. “Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot happen simultaneously. Water and blood cannot flow together,” Prime Minister Modi declared.
PM Modi further clarified that any future discussions between India and Pakistan would be strictly limited to the topics of terrorism and the return of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) — signalling a significant shift in India’s diplomatic posture.
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