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Indus Waters Treaty suspended by India after Pahalgam attack
07-07-2025 Pakistan Affairs international relations
History
The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-distribution treaty which was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960. This treaty which was brokered by the World Bank is a water sharing agreement where India and Pakistan split the Indis river basin with Pakistan controlling the westward tributaries (Indus, Jehlum, Chenab) and India the eastward ones (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej). These rivers are vital for Pakistan's agriculture and food security. Even during the 1965, 1971, and 1999 wars, India refrained from blocking the flow of rivers to Pakistan.
The Indus River system has been used for irrigation since time immemorial. During the period of British rule in India, large canal systems were constructed, and old canal systems and channels were revived and modernized. However, in 1947 British India was partitioned, resulting in the creation of an independent India and West Pakistan (later called Pakistan). The water system was thus divided between the two, with the headworks in India and the canals running through Pakistan.
In 1948, India began withholding water from canals that flowed into Pakistan. In 1954 the World Bank submitted a proposal for a solution. After six years of talks, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Mohammad Ayub Khan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in September 1960.
The Treaty
- The treaty gave the waters of the western rivers—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan and those of the eastern rivers—the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India.
- It also provided for the funding and building of dams, link canals, barrages, and tube wells—notably the Tarbela Dam on the Indus River and the Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River. These helped provide water to Pakistan in the amounts that it had previously received from the rivers now assigned to India’s exclusive use. Much of the financing was contributed by member countries of the World Bank.
- The treaty also allowed India to use the Eastern water for hydropower and agriculture without storage.
- For dispute resolutin there is a three tierd approach: Permanent Indus Commission → Neutral Expert → Arbitration (Court of Arbitration)
80% of the entire water of the Indus River Basin goes to Pakistan while India recieves 20%.
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Current Situation
- In a significant challenge to the treaty, in 2017 India completed the building of the Kishanganga dam on Jehlum and continued work on the Ratle hydroelectric power station on the Chenab River despite Pakistan’s objections.
- After the Pulwama attack in 2019 India threated to block the water flow to Pakistan, and after the Pahalgam attack in 2025, which India accuses Pakistan for, India has suspended the treaty altogether.
- Currently India lacks the infrastructure to divert and store water to block it off from Pakistan. But India can immediately stop sharing hydrological data with Pakistan which according to the BBC is crucial for flood forecasting and planning for irrigation, hydropower and drinking water. This would essentially make Pakistan blind about what is happening upstream creating risks of floods, droughts, and food shortages as a result.
- Sources from the Indian government say that they're working on mid-term and long-term solutions to implement the suspension of the treaty which includes building up India's capacity to retain and divert water flowing to Pakistan such as construction of new water storages and desilting rivers.
- Kishanganga (Jehlum)
- Ratle, Baglihar Dam. Pakal Dul (Chenab)
Pakistan has condemned India's actions and has called for the World Bank and the international community to interfere with India's decision to suspend the treaty.
Mind Map
!indus waters treaty mindmap.excalidraw
Related Ideas
Pakistan's foreign policy approach towards India and Afghanistan
References
Inuds Waters Treaty, Britannica India and Pakistan - What is Going on? Kings and Generals Modern