Why suspending the Indus Waters Treaty is a nasty thought
In a dramatic escalation following the Pahalgam terror assault, during which 26 civilians have been killed, the Indian authorities has determined to droop the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The transfer has, for good purpose, sparked alarm throughout the area and past. For a treaty that has weathered wars and diplomatic breakdowns for over six many years, its suspension signifies not solely a breakdown of belief but in addition a doubtlessly dangerous shift in India’s regional posture.
This isn’t the primary time the IWT has come beneath political fireplace. Again in 2016, after the Uri assault, calls for surged in India to weaponise water as retribution. “Blood and water can’t circulate collectively,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaimed in public conferences on the time, however he in the end opted for restraint. In 2025, that restraint has given method to motion — India has formally notified Pakistan that the IWT shall be held in abeyance till Islamabad ceases its help for cross-border terrorism.
Predictably, Pakistan has reacted sharply. Days after New Delhi’s announcement, Islamabad suspended the Simla Settlement — an accord that had ruled bilateral relations since 1972. Any Indian try to divert water meant for Pakistan beneath the IWT could be handled as an ‘Act of Warfare’, Pakistan declared, even hinting that the response could not exclude using nuclear weapons. It additionally introduced the suspension of commerce, all bilateral accords together with airspace agreements, and cancelled all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas issued to Indian nationals besides Sikh pilgrims.
Whereas it could have resonated with some emotionally and will probably yield political dividend at dwelling, the BJP authorities’s resolution raises vital questions from strategic, authorized and humanitarian views. It’s a response that feeds into media sensationalism and public outrage, however lacks strategic foresight. The transfer additionally squanders India’s ethical excessive floor in worldwide boards, the place it has lengthy been seen as a establishment energy within the face of Pakistani provocations.
