New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) can no longer function in its present form and will remain in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism, with any reconsideration of the 1960 pact possible only thereafter as part of a renegotiation process, sources told ANI.
According to sources, Pakistan’s attempt to play the victim to galvanize support for its position is not working. Recently, the Pakistani side sought the support of the Canadian foreign minister during his visit to Pakistan to raise the issue.
Sources said any potential dispute over the water treaty must be approached in a staggered manner. First, there must be talks at the government-to-government level, followed by an approach to neutral observers and, finally, to the Court of Arbitration. Pakistan, they said, violated the treaty’s terms by approaching the court directly, meaning India is not bound to respond.
Sources also said Pakistan’s attempts to portray itself as the victim have failed. They noted there has been no restriction on Pakistan building water storage facilities or dams on its side. However, Pakistan has made no effort to do so and is now attempting to blame India, which the sources described as a double standard.
The sources said Pakistan has complained about Indian activities on the eastern rivers, which fall under India’s jurisdiction. They added that the international community has not accepted Pakistan’s claim that India has violated the treaty’s provisions.
Sources further said Pakistan was asked to reassess the treaty’s provisions in 2023 but declined to do so. According to the sources, the treaty no longer reflects present-day realities, with India’s population, developmental requirements, climate challenges and engineering capabilities having changed significantly over the past six decades.
“The Treaty was based on the engineering techniques of the 1950s. Since then, India’s population demographics, need to generate clean energy, water demand for irrigation and drinking water, climate change challenges and technological capabilities have changed fundamentally,” the sources said.
The sources said these factors were presented to Pakistan, but it refused to discuss them, leading India to place the treaty in abeyance. They also contended that Pakistan repeatedly misused the treaty’s dispute resolution mechanisms to delay Indian hydropower projects by escalating technical issues to international forums and pursuing parallel proceedings before the Neutral Expert and the Court of Arbitration.
The sources reiterated India’s long-held position that the Court of Arbitration was “illegally constituted” and that its proceedings, awards and decisions are “null and void” and have no legal effect. They added that Pakistan’s attempts to use what India considers an illegal mechanism have been dismissed on the international stage.
The sources further said the decision to keep the treaty in abeyance stems from the Cabinet Committee on Security’s (CCS) decision of April 23, 2025, following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. They asserted that the conditions under which the treaty was negotiated have fundamentally changed.
“The Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. This is the threshold condition. The question of reconsideration or renegotiation would arise only after this condition is fulfilled,” the sources said.
The sources argued that the treaty, signed in 1960, “cannot function” under the present circumstances because the spirit of goodwill and peaceful coexistence on which it was negotiated has been eroded by Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism and its repeated objections to India’s hydropower projects.
“The Treaty was negotiated in an atmosphere of goodwill and peaceful coexistence. Pakistan’s sustained support for cross-border terrorism has fundamentally undermined the conditions necessary for its continued implementation,” the sources added.
With the treaty in abeyance, the sources said all institutional mechanisms under the agreement, including meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission, inspections, and the routine exchange of hydrological and project-related data, remain inoperative.
However, the sources noted that India will continue to issue flood warnings to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. They said India voluntarily issued 23 flood warnings during the last flood season outside the treaty framework and is likely to continue doing so to safeguard human life and property.
The sources also outlined an accelerated push for hydropower development in the Chenab basin, identifying projects such as the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project, the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, the 850 MW Ratle Project, the 624 MW Kiru Project and the 540 MW Kwar Project as priorities.
They further said India will undertake systematic sediment flushing and reservoir management at projects including Salal and Baglihar to restore storage capacity, improve dam safety and enhance hydropower efficiency, describing such measures as internationally accepted engineering practices rather than attempts to alter downstream river flows.
The sources also maintained that Pakistan’s water challenges stem primarily from domestic mismanagement, including inadequate storage, aging irrigation infrastructure and inefficient water use, rather than upstream development in India.
Reiterating a broader position, the sources said India’s focus while the treaty remains in abeyance will be on the optimal utilization of its legitimate share of Indus waters through scientific basin management, infrastructure modernization, clean energy generation and strengthened water security.
“The central issue is terrorism,” the sources said, adding that until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” abandons its support for cross-border terrorism, India will continue to exercise its legitimate rights while pursuing modern engineering practices and responsible stewardship of water resources. (ANI)
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