by
International Desk, May 6, 2025 :Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his government’s decision to terminate the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, following a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Tuesday evening, Modi emphasized that the decision to suspend water sharing with Pakistan will remain unchanged, asserting that India’s water resources will now exclusively serve the country’s interests.
The statement comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, triggered by a militant attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national. Described as the deadliest attack in India since the 2019 Pulwama incident, the assault has been attributed by India’s BJP-led government to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and “deep state,” allegations that Islamabad has denied, calling for an impartial international investigation.
In response to the attack, India announced a series of stringent measures, including the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, cancellation of all visas for Pakistani citizens, closure of land borders, and restrictions on Pakistani aircraft in Indian airspace. Pakistan retaliated with similar actions, suspending visas for Indian citizens, closing its airspace and borders, and halting the 1972 Shimla Agreement. Islamabad has also warned that any disruption to the Indus water flow would be considered “tantamount to a declaration of war.”
Addressing the water-sharing issue, Modi remarked, “There’s a lot of discussion in the media about water these days. In the past, even water that rightfully belonged to India flowed out of the country. Now, India’s water will flow only for India’s benefit, be stored for India’s advantage, and be used for India’s progress.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 under World Bank mediation, allocated the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries between the two nations. Pakistan relies on the Indus and its tributaries for irrigating approximately 80% of its agricultural land. The treaty prohibited India from building additional reservoirs to divert the river’s flow, but with the agreement now suspended, India has begun constructing new dams and hydroelectric projects, raising concerns about severe impacts on Pakistan’s agriculture and economy.
Pakistan has announced plans to pursue legal action at international forums, arguing that the unilateral suspension of the treaty violates international law. The ongoing tit-for-tat measures, including trade suspensions and heightened military alertness along the Line of Control (LoC), have pushed bilateral relations to a breaking point, with fears of further escalation looming large.
AI/MR
