The MEA said changes in the ground situation, such as advancements in engineering, the effects of climate change, and the melting of glaciers, make it necessary to renegotiate the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
India’s decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance follows Pakistan’s disregard for the guiding principles of the agreement, including friendship and goodwill, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has told a parliamentary committee.
The MEA said changes in the ground situation, such as advancements in engineering, the effects of climate change, and the melting of glaciers, make it necessary to renegotiate the 1960 treaty. The ministry noted that these issues would also be highlighted by Indian delegations visiting world capitals to explain the country’s stance following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, according to PTI sources.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a briefing to the committee, pointed out that the treaty’s preamble mentions it was concluded in a “spirit of goodwill, and friendship.” He said, “All these principles have in effect been held in abeyance by Pakistan.”
Misri also updated the committee on Indian actions taken in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, including Operation Sindoor, and spoke to all seven multi-party delegations currently visiting 33 countries and the European Union to present India’s position on its ongoing tensions with Pakistan.
The MEA said that Pakistan had consistently refused India’s requests to hold government-to-government negotiations over the treaty, despite significant changes in conditions since it was signed.
There is a compelling case for the treaty to be renegotiated to make it fit for the 21st century, the ministry said, citing that the agreement is based on engineering practices from the 1950s and 1960s.
Additional concerns include climate change, melting glaciers, fluctuating water availability, population growth, and the need for clean energy—all of which, the MEA said, justify a revision of the treaty’s terms and obligations.
“The treaty in its preamble says that it is concluded in a spirit of goodwill, and friendship. All these principles have in effect been held in abeyance by Pakistan. The unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with our ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions,” the MEA stated.
The ministry emphasised that it is “only natural and well within India’s right to hold the treaty in abeyance when the fundamental ground situations have changed completely.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing a firm line, recently said, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that the Indus Waters Treaty will continue to be in abeyance, adding that dealings with Pakistan will be “strictly bilateral”.
