What is the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty that India has put on ice following Pahalgam terror attack?

In a move that marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian government on Wednesday suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement, in response to the brutal terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead.

The announcement came during a press briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, as India also declared all Pakistani military attachés in the country persona non grata and revoked all visa clearances for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect.

What is the Indus Waters Treaty?

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed on 19 September 1960 after nearly a decade of negotiations, was brokered by the World Bank and is widely considered a rare example of successful long-term water sharing between two rival neighbours. It lays out a framework for cooperation and information exchange on the use of six transboundary rivers of the Indus basin.

Under the treaty, India was given exclusive rights to utilise the waters of the eastern rivers – the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi – which together account for approximately 33 million acre feet (MAF) of water annually. Pakistan, in turn, was allocated the waters of the western rivers – the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – which amount to about 135 MAF each year.

The agreement also allows India to build ‘run-of-the-river’ hydroelectric projects on the western rivers, provided these comply with detailed design and operational criteria. Pakistan retains the right to object to the technical designs of these projects, and both countries are represented by Permanent Indus Commissioners, who are required to meet at least once a year in alternating host countries.

When was it last modified or discussed?

Although the treaty includes provisions for mutual modifications through ratified agreements, no major changes have been made since its signing. A meeting of the Indus Commissioners was due to take place in New Delhi in March 2020 but was cancelled owing to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The preamble to the treaty captures the cooperative spirit it was intended to foster:
"The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan, being equally desirous of attaining the most complete and satisfactory utilisation of the waters of the Indus system of rivers and recognising the need, therefore, of fixing and delimiting, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship, the rights and obligations of each in relation to the other concerning the use of these waters and of making provision for the settlement, in a cooperative spirit, of all such questions as may hereafter arise in regard to the interpretation or application of the provisions agreed upon herein, have resolved to conclude a Treaty in furtherance of these objectives, and for this purpose have named as their plenipotentiaries..."

The historic accord was signed under the leadership of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for India and Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan for Pakistan.

Why has India suspended the Treaty now?

India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty follows one of the deadliest civilian attacks in Kashmir in recent years. On Tuesday afternoon, terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam, targeting a group of tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a front for the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility.

In response, India has not only frozen the treaty but also taken several stringent steps. These include halting visa services for Pakistanis and withdrawing Indian diplomats from missions in Pakistan. The Wagah-Attari land border crossing has also been closed with immediate effect, with a grace period for returning travellers set until 1 May 2025.

Impact of the Treaty suspension

The move to halt water cooperation affects the flow from both the eastern and western rivers – including the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej – that originate in India and supply water to tens of millions of people in Pakistan. It is unclear how long the suspension will last or whether the World Bank, a signatory to the original agreement, will intervene.

India's decision to pause its obligations under the treaty signals a major shift in its strategic approach to dealing with Pakistan-based terrorism, leveraging water security as a tool of pressure for the first time in decades.