India on Thursday wrote to Pakistan informing about its decision to keep Indus Water Treaty in abeyance with immediate effect, saying it breached treaty conditions.
India said that sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting Jammu and Kashmir impedes India’s rights under Indus Water Treaty.
Signed in 1960, the treaty allocates the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — to India and the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan.
“The Govt of India has hereby decided that the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect,” reads a letter from Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti wrote to Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary of Pakistan Ministry of Water Resources.
The decision to suspend the decades-old treaty comes in the aftermath of the killing of 26 men, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday.
“The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” reads the letter.
Further stating that the resulting security uncertainties have directly impeded India’s full utilization of its rights under the Treaty, the letter reads, “Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India’s request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty.”
