India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty After Pahalgam Attack
India Takes Action: Indus Waters Treaty Suspended
India has taken a significant step in its relationship with Pakistan, placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The decision, announced at the United Nations on Friday, is based on a long-standing pattern of what India considers Pakistani violations of the treaty’s spirit.
Decades of Disagreement
Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, addressed the Security Council, highlighting that Pakistan has repeatedly violated the 1960 water-sharing agreement. He pointed to three wars and thousands of terror attacks against India as evidence of this.
“India entered into the Indus Water Treaty 65 years ago in good faith. The preamble of the treaty describes that the treaty was concluded in a spirit of goodwill and friendship. Throughout the six and a half decades, Pakistan has violated the spirit of the treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India. In the last four decades, more than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost in terror attacks, the most recent of which was a dastardly targeted terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam last month,” Ambassador Harish stated.
Beyond Terrorism: Security and Energy Needs
While terrorism was a major factor, the envoy also emphasized other concerns. India’s growing energy needs, climate change, and demographic shifts require adjustments to the treaty, according to Ambassador Harish. He stressed that advancements in dam technology necessitate changes to ensure safety and efficiency, but Pakistan has consistently blocked these modifications.
“However, Pakistan has continued to block consistently any changes to this infrastructure and any modifications of the provisions which are permissible under the treaty. In fact, in 2012, terrorists even attacked the Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir. These cynical acts continue to endanger the safety of our projects and the lives of civilians,” Ambassador Harish explained.
A Call for Change
India has formally requested talks with Pakistan on treaty modifications in the past two years, but these requests have been rejected. Ambassador Harish stated that Pakistan’s obstructionist approach prevents India from fully utilizing its rights under the treaty.
“It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Water Treaty,” said Ambassador Harish.
India has made it clear that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible action to end its support for cross-border terrorism.
Background on the Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, allocates the Indus River system’s waters between India and Pakistan. India has control over the three eastern rivers—the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—while Pakistan manages the three western rivers—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. While India has limited, non-consumptive use of the western rivers, the treaty is widely recognized as a successful example of transboundary water management.
However, the recent suspension highlights the ongoing tensions between the two countries and the challenges of maintaining cooperation on shared resources in the face of conflict.
