India on Thursday reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will remain in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s criticism, maintaining that its position on the decades-old water-sharing agreement has not changed.
“India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent. The IWT remains in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a weekly press briefing.
Jaiswal added that Pakistan must “credibly and irrevocably end its support for cross-border terrorism," underlining that India’s decision is directly linked to Islamabad’s continued backing of cross-border terror activities. India had placed the treaty in abeyance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack last year as part of a series of diplomatic and strategic measures against Pakistan.
The MEA’s remarks came after Pakistan rejected India’s decision to suspend the implementation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and accused New Delhi of attempting to use water as a strategic tool. During his weekly press briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed India’s justification for the move, saying allegations of terrorism were being used as a pretext to obstruct Pakistan’s lawful share of water under the treaty.
Pakistan Intensifies Rhetoric
India’s remarks came amid a fresh round of statements from senior Pakistani leaders, who have criticised New Delhi’s decision to keep the treaty in abeyance and warned of serious consequences if the issue remains unresolved.
Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik alleged that Islamabad would “cut off those hands" that sought to claim Pakistan’s share of water under the treaty, while describing any attempt to restrict the country’s water allocation as unacceptable.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also warned that the dispute could escalate into a “water war" if not resolved peacefully. He accused India of turning water into a point of conflict and claimed that continued suspension of the treaty could further strain relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Pakistan Rejects India’s Decision
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar rejected India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance, arguing that the agreement remains legally binding under international law. He maintained that no party could unilaterally suspend or terminate obligations under a treaty that contains no such provision and warned that denying Pakistan its allocated water would have serious implications for regional peace and security.
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also criticised India’s move, warning of “profound consequences" if the treaty remains suspended. Calling the Indus River Pakistan’s “lifeline," he said water should not be used as a bargaining tool or instrument of pressure and urged Islamabad to convey its position firmly to both India and the international community.
India’s Position Remains Unchanged
The Ministry of External Affairs, however, maintained that India’s stand has not changed. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 after nearly nine years of negotiations and brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan has repeatedly called for restoration of the agreement, New Delhi has linked any review of the treaty’s status to Pakistan’s conduct on cross-border terrorism.
Source: News18