Following India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Indian Embassy in Washington emphasised that the treaty was signed in a spirit of goodwill and friendship. However, it noted that Pakistan’s support for state-sponsored terrorism has “corroded this spirit.”
In response to media queries regarding India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance, the Indian Embassy in Washington, in a post on X, wrote, “The Indus Water Treaty was concluded by India with Pakistan in a spirit of goodwill and friendship in 1960.”
It added, “Pakistan, through its well-documented, state-sponsored terrorism directed against India, has corroded this spirit. India cannot be expected to continue to cooperate with a country which is responsible for killing innocent civilians.”
Following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Ministry of External Affairs announced a series of strong measures in response, including the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty “with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irreversibly abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960, following nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan, with the assistance of the World Bank, which is also a signatory. Former World Bank President Eugene Black initiated the talks.
Recognised as one of the most successful international treaties, it has endured frequent tensions, including conflict. It has provided a framework for irrigation and hydropower development for over half a century. Former US President Dwight Eisenhower described it as “one bright spot … in a very depressing world picture that we see so often.”
The Treaty allocates the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India. At the same time, the Treaty allows each country certain uses of the rivers allocated to the other.
The treaty allocates 20 per cent of the water from the Indus River System to India, with the remaining 80 per cent to Pakistan. (ANI)
