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Economic Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty
Agencies India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty New Delhi: India has served a note verbale (formal diplomatic communication) to the Pakistan High Commission, notifying its decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty under abeyance in the backdrop of sustained cross-border linkages to terror attacks in note verbale was served along with a letter from the secretary of the Water Resources Ministry to the Pakistan High Commission here on Thursday night, ET has learnt. The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said: 'The Indus Water Treaty was concluded by India with Pakistan in a spirit of goodwill and friendship in 1960. 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.' The letter from the Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan, said: "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." The letter also mentioned that Pakistan has consistently ignored India's efforts to work out certain issues that have cropped up with "fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed". "These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty," the letter in the letter also said in addition, consistent cross-border terrorism has given rise to "uncertainties' that have "directly impeded India's full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty"."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," the letter read. The letter came shortly after Islamabad retaliated against New Delhi's diplomatic moves after the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened to suspend all agreements between the two countries, including the Simla pact of 1972, which validates the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Ambika Vishwanath, cofounder and director of Kubernein Initiative that deals with water security and climate issues, told ET: 'The suspension of the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) is unfortunate but it sends a very clear message… In a small way the suspension also leaves a tiny gap open for potential revision at a later stage if and when diplomatic ties do resume, which is a smart move on India's part. It is leverage we can use smartly both with Pakistan but also with the international community as needed." India's Cabinet Committee on Security, which met Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, decided that the Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: India has served a note verbale (formal diplomatic communication ) to the Pakistan High Commission , notifying its decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty under abeyance in the backdrop of sustained cross-border linkages to terror attacks in note verbale was served along with a letter from the secretary of the Water Resources Ministry to the Pakistan High Commission here on Thursday night, ET has Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said: 'The Indus Water Treaty was concluded by India with Pakistan in a spirit of goodwill and friendship in 1960. 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.'The letter from the Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan, said: "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."The letter also mentioned that Pakistan has consistently ignored India's efforts to work out certain issues that have cropped up with "fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed"."These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty," the letter in the letter also said in addition, consistent cross-border terrorism has given rise to "uncertainties' that have "directly impeded India's full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty"."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," the letter letter came shortly after Islamabad retaliated against New Delhi's diplomatic moves after the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened to suspend all agreements between the two countries, including the Simla pact of 1972, which validates the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Vishwanath, cofounder and director of Kubernein Initiative that deals with water security and climate issues, told ET: 'The suspension of the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) is unfortunate but it sends a very clear message… In a small way the suspension also leaves a tiny gap open for potential revision at a later stage if and when diplomatic ties do resume, which is a smart move on India's part. It is leverage we can use smartly both with Pakistan but also with the international community as needed."India's Cabinet Committee on Security, which met Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, decided that the Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India halts Indus Water Treaty, sparks economic fear in Pakistan
Following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir on April 22, which killed atleast 26, mostly tourists, the Indian government has suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan . The decision came after a Cabinet Committee meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The move by the Indian government has sparked economic fear in the neighbouring country as the river is intricately linked to Pakistan's food security, energy production, and overall economic stability. On April 24, 2025, a letter was sent from the Union Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan that said: "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". "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," the letter read. Understanding the Indus water treaty The World Bank administered the Indus water treaty, a water-sharing arrangement between India and Pakistan for the management of the Indus River system. It was signed on September 19, 1960, in Karachi by India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's President Ayub Khan. The treaty divides the six rivers of the Indus Basin between India and Pakistan. The eastern rivers – the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej – are allocated to India for its unrestricted use. On the other hand, the western rivers – the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – are primarily allocated to Pakistan, although India retains limited rights for domestic and non-consumptive uses such as navigation and flood control, as well as for agriculture and hydropower generation, subject to specific restrictions outlined within the treaty. This division results in a significant disparity in water sharing, with Pakistan receiving approximately 80 per cent of the total water from the Indus River system, while India's share amounts to roughly 20 per cent. Infrastructure gap To significantly reduce or stop the flow of the western rivers, India would require substantial infrastructure, particularly large storage dams which would require considerable time. 'Technically, we cannot say that water from the rivers will be stopped or controlled from today. There isn't any particular large dam ready on the western rivers at the moment that could directly regulate the waters. But what stops immediately are day-to-day information exchanges with our counterparts in Pakistan,' said an official from the Union Jal Shakti ministry. From the western rivers, while regulated flow (3.6 MAF) can be reduced to some extent, the majority of water reaching Pakistan (131.4 MAF) flows naturally and remains beyond India's control. Full stoppage would require massive infrastructure investment by India. Impact on Pakistan's economy The Indus River, which provides the water lifeline for the vast majority of Pakistan's irrigated land and forms the core of its agricultural sector—a vital contributor to the country's GDP and a significant employer, particularly in rural areas—is linked with Pakistan's economy. Crop yields would be significantly impacted by a decrease in the flow of these rivers, which might result in food shortages, higher import costs, and financial hardship for farming communities. Apart from agriculture impact, the Indus Waters Treaty will affect power generation as Pakistan relies significantly on hydropower generated from the river. Dams like Tarbela and Mangla are key contributors to Pakistan's electricity supply. Any disruption to the water flow due to the treaty would have serious consequences.
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Business Standard
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
India retaliates as Pakistan violates LoC ceasefire after Pahalgam attack
Pakistan Army troops opened fire at multiple locations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday night, in a significant escalation that marks a serious breach of the existing ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the Indian Army responded 'effectively,' top military sources confirmed, as reported by news agency PTI. 'There were incidents of small arms firing at some places on the Line of Control initiated by Pakistan,' PTI quoted an unnamed source as saying. 'The firing was effectively responded to.' This latest exchange of fire comes just days after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 people dead and reignited tensions between the two neighbours. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, India has launched a series of retaliatory measures targeting Pakistan's diplomatic and strategic interests. These include the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, immediate suspension of the Attari land-transit post, and a historic decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, which has governed river water sharing between the two countries since 1960. Also Read India formally notified Pakistan on Thursday that the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is effective immediately. The announcement was made through a letter from the Union Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan. The letter stated, '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.' It further emphasised that Pakistan has repeatedly ignored India's efforts to address key issues within the treaty framework, especially in light of 'fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed.' These changes, the letter outlined, include 'significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy, and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty.' The letter also pointed out that Pakistan's refusal to engage in negotiations, as mandated under the treaty, constitutes a direct breach of the agreement. '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,' the letter added. The move to suspend the treaty was finalised during a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following the Pahalgam attack, PM Modi had vowed to 'identify, track, and punish' every terrorist and their 'backers' involved in the incident.
