The Indian government has decided to halt the flow of Indus River water to Pakistan following its suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. This move comes in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, allegedly carried out by Pakistan-based militants, according to official sources.
Sources also stated that India plans to increase the storage capacity of dams along the Indus basin to better utilize the river’s water.
Government formally declares IWT to be placed in abeyance
Earlier, the government formally issued a notification putting the treaty on hold and delivered it to Pakistan on Thursday, just a day after New Delhi publicly announced the decision.
The notification declared that the treaty is being placed in “abeyance,” effectively suspending all its obligations — including regular meetings between the Indus Commissioners, data sharing, and advance notifications for new projects. With the agreement now suspended, India can move forward with constructing dams on the Indus without seeking Pakistan’s approval or engaging in consultations.
In an official letter addressed to Pakistani authorities, India’s Water Resources Secretary, Debashree Mukherjee, stated that continued cross-border terrorism from Pakistan targeting Jammu and Kashmir undermines India’s rights under the treaty.
“Treaty obligations must be honored in good faith. However, what we have seen is ongoing cross-border terrorism from Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter read.
Pakistan cries foul on India’s suspension of IWT
Meanwhile, Pakistan has rejected India’s decision to suspend the treaty, warning that any attempt to block its share of water under the agreement would be considered an “act of war.” The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in September 1960 after nearly a decade of negotiations, was created to resolve disputes over the use of shared rivers.
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This suspension is part of a broader set of punitive actions India has taken against Pakistan. These include the cancellation of visas for Pakistani nationals, the expulsion of military attachés, the closure of the Attari land transit point and Obroi post, and a reduction in diplomatic presence.
IWT suspension could invite major Implications for Pakistan
Experts warn that India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty could have severe consequences for Pakistan’s agriculture-based economy. Disruption in water flow and data sharing during crucial crop seasons may impact food production.
The World Bank-brokered treaty divides river rights between the two countries — with the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi allocated to India, and the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab allocated to Pakistan. Under the treaty, Pakistan typically receives around 135 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually.
Notably, the treaty contains no provision for unilateral suspension by either party.
