New Delhi, May 13: “India will keep the Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. Please also note that climate change, demographic shifts and technological changes have created new realities on the ground,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at a media briefing on Tuesday.
His statement follows India’s April 23 decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a water-sharing agreement signed with Pakistan in 1960 and monitored by World Bank. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, that left 26 people dead, most of them tourists. It was part of a broader set of retaliatory steps, including the downgrading of diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
Jaiswal began by reminding the media of the original spirit in which the treaty was signed: “The Indus Waters Treaty was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship as specified in the preamble of the treaty. However, Pakistan has held these principles in abeyance by its promotion of cross-border terrorism for decades. Now as per CCS decision of 23 April, India will keep the Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. Please also note that climate change, demographic shifts and technological changes have created new realities on the ground.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has been one of the few enduring symbols of cooperation between India and Pakistan, even during times of conflict. It grants India rights over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and Pakistan over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab).
But in recent years, officials have raised concerns about the treaty’s continued operation despite repeated terror attacks and a changing regional context. Jaiswal’s statement made clear that India no longer views the treaty as sustainable in the face of ongoing security threats and shifting ground realities.
His comments came days after the ceasefire understanding reached through a direct phone call between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan. While hostilities have paused for now, New Delhi has maintained that any future cooperation will depend on verifiable actions by Pakistan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure. With the treaty now officially in suspension, its future will likely depend on broader developments in India-Pakistan relations particularly on the question of terrorism.
