EDITORIAL: The 1960 World Bank brokered Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), that remained operational even during the three wars between India and Pakistan, was announced to be in abeyance on 24 April 2025 after the Pahalgam attack a day earlier, 22 April, that killed 25 Indian and one Nepali tourist.
The treaty would remain in abeyance until further notice, so revealed high level sources, on the grounds that “Pakistan violated the preamble of the IWT which says it is being done with goodwill and good neighbourliness.”
With overwhelming evidence that India’s defence forces performed poorly with Western technology in contrast to Pakistan’s technical superiority sourced to the Chinese, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s letter to the Indian Prime Minister requesting an immediate special session of parliament to address India’s escalating security and diplomatic situation requiring parliamentary attention has merit.
By 10 May, when the ceasefire effective 5pm was declared by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social, the Indian media reported that the IWT will remain in abeyance. And this should be a source of very serious concern to Pakistani officialdom as well as the general public.
India as the upper riparian country has obligations under the international law that necessitate that it does not construct dams and/or divert water away from/or to Pakistan on the Western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) that are allocated to Pakistan under the IWT; the Eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, Sutlej — are allocated to India. Or, in other words, India does not weaponise water by releasing water during times of floods that can inundate cities along the route or stop water flows during times of drought.
A cable by former US Ambassador David Mulford in India, dated 25 February 2005, on the then simmering dispute over the construction of Baglihar dam by India, a construction violative of the IWT, expressed the hope that “this politically charged impasse” would not spiral into “Islamabad’s worst case scenario, that India’s dams in Jammu and Kashmir have the potential to destroy the peace process of even lead to war.” This was recently reaffirmed in a statement issued on 25 April after a high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister attended by the three services chiefs as well as senior cabinet members noted that “the Treaty (IWT) is a binding international agreement brokered by the World Bank and contains no provision for unilateral suspension.
Water is a Vital National Interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people, and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs. Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power.”
The immediate resuscitation of the IWT is of critical national importance to Pakistan, and one would hope that with negotiations between the two countries scheduled to start on Monday (yesterday) this particular item must lead the agenda.
India no doubt understands the importance of the IWT to Pakistan’s ability to meet the country’s food needs, provide employment to 37 percent of the total work force and minimise food imports.
It is, therefore, important to note that without the revival of the IWT the war clouds will not disperse and while Kashmir remains a major irritant for Pakistan, as is being highlighted in the Western media, our very survival rests with the IWT becoming functional again.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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