India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty After Pahalgam Attack: What It Means for Pakistan and the Region

In a historic move, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, marking the first such action since the pact was signed in 1960. The decision came a day after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives and was attributed by Indian authorities to Pakistan-based militants.

Announcing the suspension, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the IWT would remain “in abeyance” until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” The suspension is part of a broader set of diplomatic measures, including the closure of the Attari border post, cancellation of visas, and expulsion of Pakistani personnel from India.

The IWT, a product of nine years of negotiations, governs the distribution of water from six rivers in the Indus system. Under its terms, India has unrestricted rights over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan relies on the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) for the bulk of its agricultural and municipal water needs.

With the treaty suspended, India can immediately halt the sharing of water flow data with Pakistan, lift operational restrictions on its use of the Indus system, and develop new storage projects on the western rivers. Pakistani officials will also be barred from inspecting Indian hydropower projects under construction in Jammu & Kashmir.

However, experts note that there will be no immediate reduction in water flow to Pakistan, as India currently lacks the infrastructure to block or divert these rivers. The move, nonetheless, significantly increases diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and signals a major escalation in bilateral tensions.

The Indus Waters Treaty, which has survived wars and decades of hostility, now faces its gravest challenge, with no clear mechanism for unilateral abrogation or international arbitration available to Pakistan.