April 24, 2025
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply on Wednesday after New Delhi announced that it would place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 28 tourists dead.
The unprecedented move was described by Indian authorities as a direct response to the attack, which they alleged was orchestrated by militants operating from across the border. In a statement issued after a high-level security review, the Indian government said it would “temporarily suspend its participation” in the decades-old treaty, citing national security imperatives.
“In the aftermath of the heinous Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives, the Government of India has decided to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance until further notice,” the official statement read.
Reacting strongly to the announcement, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office released a sharply worded statement, warning that any move to disrupt or revoke the treaty would be seen as an “act of war.”
“A unilateral move to disrupt or withdraw from the Indus Waters Treaty undermines international obligations and constitutes a serious provocation,” the statement said. It urged international institutions and the United Nations to take immediate notice of what it described as a “dangerous escalation” by India.
Signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty governs the sharing of water from the Indus River system between the two countries. Despite numerous conflicts and wars, the treaty has long been regarded as a rare symbol of cooperation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Experts warn that suspending the treaty could have far-reaching implications for regional stability, agricultural planning, and the lives of millions who depend on the Indus River system for their livelihood.
As diplomatic circles await further developments, international observers have called for restraint and urged both nations to return to dialogue to prevent a worsening of already strained relations.
