Tense over India’s Indus waters move after Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan has claimed that India’s plan to build a river-linking project to divert water from Chenab would be a “grave violation” of the Indus Waters Treaty and other international laws. According to PTI, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made these remarks while reading out reports that India is planning to tunnel Chenab water to the Beas river, both part of the Indus basin.
Dismissing Pakistan’s criticism, India said that the Indus Waters Treaty will continue to be kept in abeyance until Islamabad stops supporting terrorism.
Why India Kept Indus Water Treaty in Abeyance
India, after the Pahalgam terror attack, had put the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in “Abeyance” as one of the punitive measures against Pakistan.
The Indus Waters Treaty was brokered by the World Bank to govern the distribution and use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan.
After India’s move, Tahir Andrabi said, “Yes, we have seen this report as well as the public tender document issued by the government of India that India has invited bids for the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel project with the intention of transferring 1.9 million acre feet (MAF) of water annually from Chenab into the Beas system.”
“Such an inter-basin diversion of water of the Chenab into the Beas system constitutes a grave violation of not just the IWT but also of the laws of treaties, particularly the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, as well as the broader framework of international water law, including the principles reflected in the 1977 UN convention on watercourses,” he claimed.
Under the IWT, Pakistan received the entire flow from the three western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus, while India had complete rights over the three eastern rivers, Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi.
Andrabi also said that India’s plan to silt flush the Salal Dam was not permissible under either the IWT or the 1978 Salal agreement.
The 690 MW Salal power station is a run-of-the-river project on the Chenab in the Riasi district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The official also claimed that India had neither officially communicated nor shared any notice of these projects nor had it sought consultations in this regard.
‘Until Pak Stops Supporting Terrorism…’ Says India, Dismisses Pak Criticism
As Pakistan seems rattled on India’s move, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in “abeyance” until Islamabad stops supporting cross-border terrorism.
In its weekly presser, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the 1960 water-sharing pact continues to be suspended following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. The decision to keep the treaty on hold follows the “Operation Sindoor” military action launched by India in May 2025, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in response to the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives.
Jaiswal emphasised that the treaty would not be restored until there is a credible and irreversible cessation of Pakistan’s support for cross-border terror activities. “The Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s sponsorship of cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal stated, dismissing recent criticisms from Islamabad regarding India’s hydroelectric projects on the Chenab and Beas rivers.
MEA on Turkish Foreign Minister’s Remark
Responding to queries regarding comments from the Turkish Foreign Minister, Jaiswal maintained that India’s international engagements are guided by its own foreign policy interests. Addressing concerns about countries maintaining relationships with Pakistan, Jaiswal affirmed that India’s strategic autonomy remains paramount, stating, “All our international engagements have their own standing and importance.”
The operational impact of this suspension is most visible at the Baglihar Dam in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.
More than a year after the treaty’s suspension, the dam’s gates continue to remain closed. This sustained measure, linked to the broader suspension of the IWT, highlights the shift in India’s water management and hydroelectric strategy in the region.
The MEA also addressed ongoing legal disputes over the treaty. India has rejected the May 15, 2026, award by what it calls an “illegally constituted” Court of Arbitration on maximum pondage and treaty interpretation. New Delhi maintains it never recognised the court, and considers all its proceedings and decisions “null and void.”
As the IWT enters its second year in abeyance, the situation underscores the hardening of India’s diplomatic and strategic posture, linking regional stability and resource management directly to the issue of state-sponsored terrorism.
With inputs from PTI, ANI