KARACHI: India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir has triggered sharp warnings from Pakistan, which says any move to block or divert its water share will be treated as an act of war.
In a statement after Thursday’s National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, Islamabad declared it would use all conventional and non-conventional means to safeguard its water rights. The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the use of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan and has long served as a rare example of cooperation between the two countries.
India’s Cabinet Committee on Security announced the suspension of the treaty after blaming Pakistan for the April 22 attack that killed 26 people in Pahalgam. Analysts say this move may allow India to accelerate hydropower and storage projects previously challenged by Pakistan under the treaty.
In the short term, India could halt sharing hydrological data, posing a serious flood risk during the upcoming monsoon season. Pakistan’s NSC reiterated that any infringement on its water rights would trigger a response “across the complete spectrum of national power.”
Security experts suggested this includes potential use of nuclear weapons if India constructs any facility to disrupt Pakistan’s water supply. One defence analyst interpreted the NSC’s wording as an indication that Islamabad would strike such a facility without delay.
Former Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah said neither country can suspend the treaty unilaterally. He stressed that the agreement is permanent and changes require mutual consent. Indian officials, however, argue that putting the treaty “in abeyance” is a temporary measure and not a legal breach.
The standoff over water rights adds another layer of tension to already strained Pakistan-India relations and raises concerns over regional stability amid threats of escalation.
