Strategic Pause, Not Exit: India Halts Indus Water Treaty as World Bank Clarifies Its Limited Role
The announcement came as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted sustained provocations and obstruction from Pakistan, coupled with evolving domestic and geopolitical realities, as the primary catalysts.
NEW DELHI- In a move signaling a strategic shift in its regional policy, India has placed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, marking the first significant reassessment of the 1960 agreement in over six decades.
The announcement came as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted sustained provocations and obstruction from Pakistan, coupled with evolving domestic and geopolitical realities, as the primary catalysts.
Also Read- Operation Sindoor: Amit Shah Chairs High-Level Security Review with Border States
“The preamble of the treaty was based on goodwill and friendship,” Misri said, stressing that India’s commitment to the IWT had endured wars, terror attacks, and persistent diplomatic challenges. However, the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, attributed to groups operating from Pakistan, was deemed the final blow to the trust the treaty was built upon.
Misri reiterated that this is not a withdrawal but a “strategic pause”, enabling India to reassess outdated clauses in light of modern engineering demands, clean energy goals, and demographic pressures. He emphasized that India had, on multiple occasions, proposed renegotiations under Article XII(3) of the treaty but received no response from Pakistan.
Also Read- Pakistan’s Bid to Escalate Negated- Proportionate Response by India
The World Bank, which originally brokered the treaty, also issued a clarification. President Ajay Banga noted that the Bank’s role is strictly procedural: to facilitate neutral experts or arbitration when both parties agree. “We do not enforce or judge the treaty,” Banga stated, countering public misperceptions about the Bank’s authority.
Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty allocated the three Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, allowing India limited use for power generation and irrigation. Despite several wars and ongoing hostility, India had never weaponized the treaty until now.
Also Read- “Operation Sindoor: India Strikes Back, Destroys 9 Terror Camps in Pakistan and PoK”
India’s recalibration signals a stronger national stance amid a deteriorating regional climate, while still leaving the door open for “meaningful, responsible dialogue” that reflects current realities.
