With India refusing to reconsider its decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, concern is growing in Pakistan, which has termed the move an “unprecedented crisis” for its water security and a potential threat to regional stability.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Usman Jadoon, accused India of “weaponising water” and violating the landmark 1960 treaty brokered by the World Bank. Addressing the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable hosted by Canada, Jadoon claimed New Delhi’s actions undermined the treaty’s spirit and led to serious disruptions in downstream water management.
India suspended the treaty following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, carried out by a Pakistan-based terror outfit linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Since April 23, India has stopped sharing flood warning data and certain hydrological and irrigation statistics related to the western rivers, information that was traditionally exchanged, especially during the monsoon and crop seasons.
Under the IWT, India has unrestricted rights over the eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas and Ravi—while Pakistan receives water from the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Jadoon alleged that India’s actions included unannounced disruptions of water flows and withholding of critical data.
Calling water insecurity a “lived reality,” the envoy said the Indus basin provides over 80 per cent of Pakistan’s agricultural water, supporting livelihoods of more than 240 million people. He cited floods, droughts, glacier melt, groundwater depletion and population growth as compounding challenges.
India, meanwhile, maintains that the treaty’s suspension is part of its new doctrine against cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that talks on the IWT will not resume until Pakistan acts against terror groups, asserting that “blood and water cannot flow together.” (Agencies)
