Pakistan Warns India Over Treaty Suspension
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed his government’s strict stance against India’s unilateral suspension of the historic 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Speaking in Islamabad, Mr. Sharif called India an “enemy of peace” and offered a dire warning, saying that any action that violates Pakistan’s essential water rights will be met with harsh consequences. He made it clear that every drop of water is still a national red line and stated that Pakistan’s peaceful approach can never be interpreted as weakness.
After a terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025 that claimed 26 civilian lives, there was a significant increase in tension. In response, India suspended the World Bank-brokered agreement that gives Pakistan 80% of the water in the river system and India 20%, claiming Pakistan-backed organisations. India has stopped releasing vital hydrological data on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers since the suspension. As a result, downstream residents in Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces face significant flood hazards due to the absence of warnings during the monsoon season.
Despite India’s unilateral announcement, Pakistan insists that the pact is still enforceable under international law, and Islamabad has persistently brought up the matter in international forums. The two nuclear-armed neighbours’ growing conflict over transboundary water resources has now become a serious problem endangering regional security and stability.
