Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, May 15: In a dramatic diplomatic turn, Pakistan has reportedly appealed to India to reconsider its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, following the crippling aftermath of Operation Sindoor and the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives last month.
According to reports, Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources has written a formal letter to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, urging the resumption of river water flow into Pakistani territory as per the provisions of the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty. The treaty had long served as a rare example of sustained cooperation between the two nations despite decades of hostility.
The plea comes just days after India invoked a historic suspension of the treaty, citing national security interests and Pakistan’s “continued state sponsorship of terrorism” as the primary trigger. The move was formally cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) — India’s apex decision-making body on strategic affairs.
Addressing the nation after the successful Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a firm stance, declaring that “terror and talks cannot go hand in hand”, adding pointedly, “Water and blood cannot flow together.” His remarks came in response to the Pahalgam tragedy that shook the country and forced a policy recalibration.
India’s decision to halt the treaty — a first in its history — has drawn strong reactions from Islamabad, with Pakistani officials warning of a potential “internal water crisis” that could spiral out of control.
In a decisive statement, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil said India has adopted a three-tier strategy — short-term, mid-term, and long-term — to completely utilise its share of Indus waters, leaving “not a single drop” to flow unutilised into Pakistan.
India has already begun reviewing stalled hydroelectric and irrigation projects under its jurisdiction along the rivers allotted to it by the treaty — including Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum, over which India holds rights for limited use.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated the government’s position, saying, “The Indus Waters Treaty was founded on goodwill and friendship. Pakistan has trampled on these values by supporting cross-border terrorism for decades.”
He further clarified that “India will no longer be bound by an agreement when the other party continues to violate the spirit of peace and cooperation.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, divides the six rivers of the Indus system between India and Pakistan — with 70% of the total water allocated to Pakistan. Despite three wars and numerous skirmishes, the treaty had remained untouched until now.
However, India's latest move comes amid growing domestic and international pressure to hold Pakistan accountable for its role in fomenting terror and disrupting regional peace.
Sources suggest a key high-level meeting is imminent this week involving Home Minister Amit Shah, Water Resources Minister Paatil, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with senior bureaucrats to chalk out the next course of action. Two such meetings have already taken place since the treaty suspension.
With New Delhi now linking dialogue with Islamabad to terrorism and the return of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), diplomatic ties have clearly entered a new, more hardline phase — one that may have permanent consequences for the Indus Waters Treaty and the region’s already fragile water security.
As things stand, India remains unwavering: Peace is possible — but only without terror.