Tough Call to suspend 1960s Indus Water Treaty after the targeted killings in Pahalgam.
On April 22, 2025, the Pahalgam targeted killing of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir shocked the nation when 26 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 17 others were injured in a brutal terrorist attack.
Cabinet Committee on security met on 23 Apr 25 and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the Media after the meeting. These are main outcome of CCS meeting
Five major outcomes of CCS meeting
- The Indus water Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with Immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross border terrorism
- The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before 01st May 25.
- Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani nationals currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India
- The defence /Military, naval and Air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in respective High Commission are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commission
- The Overall strength of the High Commission will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions , to be effected by 01 May 25.
The Indian government made a tough call to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty — a diplomatic move that goes beyond a mere reaction to terrorism. This is a strategic recalibration of water resource management in the region.
Indus Water Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty, is a water distribution treaty between India and Pakistan , under the mediation of World bank to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. It was signed between Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and then Pakistani President Field Marshal Ayub Khan in Karachi on 19 September 1960.
This treaty gives control over the waters of three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej to India. Where as Pakistan has access to three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab located in India
Pakistan receives 33 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually from the western rivers, while India utilizes only 20% of the water available in the eastern rivers.
The preamble of the Treaty recognises the rights and obligation of each country for the optimum water use from the Indus System of Rivers in a spirit of goodwill, friendship and cooperation.
Strategic Move
Pakistan’s 60% of agricultural land is dependent on the water from the Indus river system. Pakistan’s GDP is heavily reliant on agriculture, with 45% of its economy tied to farming. Scarcity of water will hit hard Pakistan’s economy.
Now with the suspension of the treaty, India can accelerate hydroelectric projects on Jhelum and Chenab rivers. This will slow down water flow to Pakistan and can regulate.
Legal Basis – India’s decision is in accordance with Article 62 of the Vienna Convention, 1969, which allows for treaty suspension in case of a fundamental change of circumstances.
The Preamble of treaty does not hold since 1980s but in recent years Pakistan has crossed all the limits of Goodwill, Friendship and cooperation with following terrorist incident inflicted on Indian soil with the support from Pakistan’s soil.
Mumbai Attack(2008)– 175 civilians were killed
Uri Attack (2016)- 19 Indian soldiers killed
Pulwama Attack (2019)- 40 CRPF soldiers martyred
Pahalgam Massacre (2025)- 26 Hindu pilgrims killed
India has provided substantial evidence to Pakistan of their involvement but Pakistan has shown no positive effort to check the cross border terrorism. Finally after 65 years of Indus water treaty India has made a decision to held in abeyance the Indus water Treaty as a defensive measures.
Conclusion
India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty is very thoughtful and delibearat decision in the light of concern over National security. The way Pakistan is behaving in last 45 years since Punjab problem to Pahalgam it was necessary to take some stern and hard diplomatic decision.
