Jaishankar: Indus Waters Treaty to Remain in Abeyance Until Pakistan Takes Action
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to end cross-border terrorism. Speaking to the media, Jaishankar said, “The treaty is currently held in abeyance and will stay that way until Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism in a way that is both credible and permanent.” He added that the only remaining discussion regarding Kashmir involves Pakistan vacating illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a topic India remains open to discussing.
India made it clear on Tuesday that its recent ceasefire agreement with Pakistan does not change its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. According to a report by The Times of India, Pakistani officials have urged India to reconsider this suspension, citing the dependence of millions on the shared water resources governed by the treaty. However, a senior Indian official said, “The treaty was negotiated with goodwill and a spirit of friendship, which is why India continued to honor it despite its flaws. But Pakistan’s failure to control terrorism has undermined the very foundation of this treaty.”
The treaty was put on hold after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. In response, India took several strong measures on April 23, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down the integrated check post at the Attari border, and reducing the staff at the Pakistani High Commission in India.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, regulates the sharing and management of the Indus River and its five tributaries—Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab—between India and Pakistan. It also requires regular information sharing between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation following Operation Sindoor and emphasized the decision to suspend the treaty, stating, “Water and blood can never flow together.” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal echoed this sentiment during a press briefing, reaffirming that India will keep the treaty suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” stops supporting cross-border terrorism.
