India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty

New Delhi: India has served a note verbale (formal diplomatic communication) to the Pakistan High Commission, notifying its decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty under abeyance in the backdrop of sustained cross-border linkages to terror attacks in Kashmir.

The note verbale was served along with a letter from the secretary of the Water Resources Ministry to the Pakistan High Commission here on Thursday night, ET has learnt.

The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said: “The Indus Water Treaty was concluded by India with Pakistan in a spirit of goodwill and friendship in 1960. Pakistan through its well documented, state-sponsored terrorism directed against India has corroded this spirit. India cannot be expected to continue to cooperate with a country which is responsible for killing innocent civilians.”

The letter from the Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan, said: "The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir."

The letter also mentioned that Pakistan has consistently ignored India's efforts to work out certain issues that have cropped up with "fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed".

"These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty," the letter read.

India in the letter also said in addition, consistent cross-border terrorism has given rise to "uncertainties” that have "directly impeded India's full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty".

"Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India's request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty," the letter read.

The letter came shortly after Islamabad retaliated against New Delhi's diplomatic moves after the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened to suspend all agreements between the two countries, including the Simla pact of 1972, which validates the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Ambika Vishwanath, cofounder and director of Kubernein Initiative that deals with water security and climate issues, told ET: “The suspension of the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) is unfortunate but it sends a very clear message… In a small way the suspension also leaves a tiny gap open for potential revision at a later stage if and when diplomatic ties do resume, which is a smart move on India's part. It is leverage we can use smartly both with Pakistan but also with the international community as needed."

India’s Cabinet Committee on Security, which met Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, decided that the Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.