Pakistan Signals Willingness to Discuss Indus Waters Treaty After India Suspends It Over Pahalgam Terror Attack

Pakistan has, for the first time, indicated a readiness to engage with New Delhi on the Indus Water Treaty.

India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.Several media houses quoting official sources said that Pakistanís Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, has responded to Indias formal communication regarding the suspension of the treaty.In his reply, Murtaza offered to hold discussions with India to address the specific provisions to which New Delhi had raised objections.

However, Murtazas communication also questioned the legal basis of Indias decision to unilaterally place the treaty in abeyance, noting that the agreement contains no exit clause.

This marks the first time Pakistan has signalled such willingness despite India issuing two earlier notices, one in January 2023 and another in September 2024, seeking a review and modification of the treaty. Islamabad had, until now, refrained from explicitly engaging with Indiaís concerns.

The shift comes after India suspended the treaty with ìimmediate effectî following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 persons, mostly tourists.

In a letter dated April 24, just two days after the Pahalgam attack, Indian Express reported that Indiaís Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee conveyed the governmentís decision to her Pakistani counterpart.

ìThe obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental,î she wrote. ìBut what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Jammu and Kashmir.î

Mukherjee argued that these security threats had directly impeded Indiaís ability to fully utilise its entitlements under the treaty.

ìPakistan has refused to respond to Indiaís request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the treaty,î she said, accusing Islamabad of being in breach of its obligations. ìThe Government of India has hereby decided that the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, will be held in abeyance with immediate effect.î

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 23 took this decision as part of a wider diplomatic and strategic response to the terror attack, including the downgrading of diplomatic ties with Pakistan.

On May 13, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed Indiaís stance, underscoring the broader context of New Delhiís decision.

ìThe Indus Waters Treaty was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, Jaiswal said. ìHowever, Pakistan has consistently violated those principles through its support for cross-border terrorism. India will keep the treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for terrorism.î

He also pointed to evolving ground realities, citing ìclimate change, demographic shifts and technological changesî as factors necessitating a re-evaluation of the treaty.

The suspension of the treaty aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modiís post-operation remarks, in which he declared, ìwater and blood cannot flow togetherî, a reference to Indiaís hardened stance following ëOperation Sindoorí.