Pakistan urges India to reconsider Indus Waters Treaty: Report

Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan on Wednesday reportedly urged India to reconsider the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), News18 reported citing sources.

“Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, wrote a letter to the Secretary of India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti a few days ago. In the letter, an appeal was made to reconsider the decision of putting the IWT in abeyance," an official source told CNN-News18.

“We have responded to the Indian letters by conveying that the treaty remains fully in force and is binding on the parties. There is no provision in the treaty to hold it in abeyance. The Indus Waters Treaty has been successful water sharing arrangement between the two neighbouring countries. The treaty has withstood tests of wars and standoffs," said Pakistan in the letter, according to sources.

“Holding in abeyance of Indus water treaty is unilateral and illegal…Pakistan is an agrarian economy. Millions of people are dependent on the water being regulated by this treaty. The Indian decision is equivalent to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy," it added.

The treaty was held in abeyance based on a decision of the cabinet committee on security (CCS) on April 23, following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 which killed 26.

India had also announced that it will stop sharing flood warnings with Pakistan.

India has considered all options, which include taking long-, mid- and short-term measures on the water flow, which will now remain restricted, said sources. For the past two weeks, water has been released to Pakistan on multiple occasions, they said.

As per the 1960 treaty, India got around 30% of the total water carried by the Indus River System located in India, while Pakistan got the remaining 70%.