Following the deadly Pahalgam attack on April 22, India announced the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, demanding an end to Pakistan’s alleged support for terrorism. Pakistan called the move an “act of war.”
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, divides the Indus Basin rivers between the two countries: India controls the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Ravi, Beas), while Pakistan controls the western ones (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). Suspension threatens Pakistan’s agriculture-dependent economy but won’t immediately cut water flow due to technical limitations and natural glacier melts.
Legally, the treaty has no exit clause, meaning India can’t unilaterally cancel it — only modify it through mutual agreement. The suspension aligns with India’s long-standing push for treaty revision and increased control over western river resources.
Source: Siasat.com
