New Delhi, June 7 – Pakistan has renewed calls to revive the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by writing three letters to India since May 10, days after hostilities subsided following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. The communication seeks not only the treaty’s reinstatement but also fresh data on water flow from India into Pakistan.
The letters, sent by Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, are part of a total of four missives dispatched since April. All were routed through India’s Jal Shakti Ministry, which then forwarded them to the Ministry of External Affairs “for action, if any,” according to official sources.
India had placed the 1960 treaty “in abeyance” following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where 25 tourists and a local pony-owner were killed. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Water and blood cannot flow together,” Modi later said in a national address, signalling a hardened stance toward Pakistan amid ongoing cross-border tensions.
The IWT, brokered with the assistance of the World Bank, regulates the distribution and usage of the six rivers in the Indus basin. Under its terms, India retains control of the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—while Pakistan accesses the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Pakistan’s heavy dependence on these rivers for agriculture is substantial: nearly 80% of irrigation needs for rabi crops are met by the three western rivers, contributing around 21% to its GDP.
Despite Islamabad’s appeal, the World Bank has declined to intervene, maintaining its distance from recent disputes. In response, Indian officials have pointed to Article XII of the treaty, which permits renegotiation through mutual agreement. “The treaty can be modified if both sides agree and ratify the changes,” said a government source.
India has consistently argued for treaty revision, citing altered hydrological patterns and modern engineering advances that allow more efficient water usage and power generation. “Keeping the treaty on hold gives India the space to develop a longer-term strategy on the use of its share of the waters,” an official explained.
Currently, India has limited infrastructure to store water from the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum. However, long-term plans are reportedly being considered. “Large storage dams could be constructed—especially on the Indus and the Chenab—which would enable India to regulate releases based on seasonal demands,” the official added. “More during monsoons, less during summers.”
As diplomatic channels remain engaged, the deadlock underscores the fragile balance between environmental interdependence and geopolitical discord.
