India has formally communicated to Pakistan the immediate suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, citing the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities, including foreign tourists.
In an official letter delivered Thursday (April 24), Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti, informed Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, of the decision to suspend the long-standing water-sharing agreement.
The suspension comes as a direct response to the deadly attack in Pahalgam, which has significantly escalated tensions between the two neighboring countries and prompted India to take this substantial diplomatic measure.
The letter reads, This is with reference to the Government of India’s notices sent to the Government of Pakistan seeking modification of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 (the Treaty) under Article XII (3) of the Treaty. These communications cited fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed that require a reassessment of obligations under the various Articles of the Treaty, read with its Annexures.
- These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty.
- The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The resulting security uncertainties have directly impeded India’s full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty. Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India’s request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty.
- The Government of India has hereby decided that the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect.