The Indus Water Treaty Equation?
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Bradford: Following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-occupied Kashmir, relations between Pakistan and India have once again deteriorated sharply. Both neighbouring nuclear-armed countries are engaging in provocative posturing, raising fears of a potential military conflict.
While the possibility of a full-scale war cannot be entirely ruled out, it remains unlikely due to the grave consequences such a confrontation would have for both nations’ which the political leaderships on both sides of the border are well aware of.
India was quick to blame Pakistan for the heinous attack and responded by suspending the historic Indus Waters Treaty. This treaty, signed on 19 September 1960 in Karachi by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan Ayub Khan, was brokered by the World Bank under the direction of the United Nations after nearly nine years of negotiations.
In a special press conference, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister made several important remarks regarding India’s suspension of the treaty. He described the Indian government’s actions as “irresponsible and illegal.” The treaty includes established mechanisms for resolving disputes, but it does not grant any party the authority to unilaterally suspend its provisions without mutual consent.
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The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister further stated that peace and stability in the entire region are being endangered by the “politically motivated and highly provocative environment being created by India” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. He described India’s actions as “highly irresponsible and destabilising.”
He added, “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. No cause or objective can justify the killing of innocent people. This is both a national and Islamic principle: the killing of one innocent person is akin to killing all of humanity, and saving a life is like saving all of humanity, as stated in the Holy Quran.”
The Deputy Prime Minister went on to say that India has developed a habitual pattern of blaming Pakistan for every terrorist incident within its borders. He called this a “very familiar template” used to deflect attention from India’s own failure to suppress the legitimate right of Kashmiris to self-determination, its security lapses in occupied Kashmir, and its decades long campaign of state oppression and violence.
The Indus Waters Treaty has now become a litmus test for the already fragile relationship between the two countries. The treaty provides a mutually agreed framework for the allocation of waters from the Indus River system, which includes rivers flowing through Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Sindh, supporting millions of lives in both nations.
Initially, water-sharing was governed by the 1948 Inter-Dominion Accord, under which India was to release sufficient water to Pakistan in exchange for an annual payment. However, this was only a temporary solution, and prolonged negotiations eventually led to the Indus Waters Treaty.
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Pakistan had originally wanted to take the matter to the International Court of Justice, but India insisted the issue was bilateral. Eventually, the World Bank, acting on behalf of the UN, mediated a lasting agreement.
Under the treaty, India was granted control over the eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—while Pakistan was given rights to the western rivers—Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum. India may use up to 20 percent of the Indus water for irrigation, transportation, and power generation, since the river originates in its territory. It is also permitted to use the waters of the Chenab and Jhelum for domestic purposes but is prohibited from constructing storage or large irrigation systems on these rivers, except under specified circumstances.
A Permanent Indus Commission was established to oversee the treaty and resolve disputes, supported by an agreed arbitration mechanism.
Against this backdrop, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty as both “irresponsible” and “illegal.”
It is to acknowledge that the treaty was internationally sanctioned and brokered by the World Bank, and that it includes no provisions allowing either party to unilaterally suspend its implementation. Denial of basic human necessities—such as food and water—for political leverage constitutes a crime against humanity. This is precisely what India is doing.
The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.
