Pakistan Appeals to India Over Indus Water Crisis After Treaty Suspension Amid Rising Tensions

Amid escalating tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists, Pakistan has formally appealed to India to reconsider its suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, warning that the move could trigger a severe water crisis in the country.

Pakistan’s Water Resources Ministry sent a letter to New Delhi, urging India to resume water-sharing under the 1960 treaty, which governs the distribution of water from six rivers flowing between the two nations. However, India has remained firm on its decision, with government sources confirming no intention to restore the agreement under the current circumstances.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public address on May 12, made India’s position unmistakably clear:

“Blood and water cannot flow together.”
Reinforcing India's long-held stance, Modi asserted that terror and dialogue, terror and trade, and terror and water-sharing cannot coexist.

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty came a day after the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where Pakistani terrorists were held responsible. In the wake of the attack, India also downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan and initiated punitive economic and strategic measures.

Speaking to the media, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

“The treaty was signed in a spirit of goodwill, but Pakistan betrayed that by sponsoring cross-border terrorism. Until Pakistan completely dismantles its terror infrastructure, the treaty will not be resumed.”

India is now actively pursuing plans to utilize the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab for its own use, with short-, medium-, and long-term infrastructure projects already underway.

Signed in 1960 with the World Bank as a broker, the Indus Water Treaty has survived wars and decades of hostility. Its suspension marks a major shift in India’s strategic approach, signaling that bilateral cooperation will no longer be insulated from the consequences of terrorism.

Background:

• Treaty signed: 1960
• Rivers covered: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab (Western rivers), Ravi, Beas, Sutlej (Eastern rivers)
• Water-sharing arrangement: India received rights over eastern rivers; Pakistan over western rivers
• Current status: Suspended by India following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack