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Indus Waters Treaty: India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee gave a detailed details of this decision in a letter to his Pakistani counterpart Syed Ali Murtaza.
Indus Waters Treaty: Taking a historic and strict step on Thursday, India informed Pakistan about its decision to officially suspend the Indus Water Treaty with immediate effect. This decision of India has been taken in response to the alleged violation of the conditions of the treaty by Pakistan and promoting the cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The move has deepened the tension between the two countries, after which Pakistan has announced several retaliation against India, calling it a “war like war”.
Terrorism is not stopping from crossroads
India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee gave a detailed details of this decision in a letter to his Pakistani counterpart Syed Ali Murtaza. The letter states that Pakistan’s ability to exercise rights under India’s treaty is being interrupted by Pakistan’s continuous promotion of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the news agency PTI, the letter clarified, “The cross -border terrorist activities have been continuously continued by Pakistan, resulting in security uncertainty. It directly affects the use and management capacity of water resources under India’s Treaty.”
India also argued that the two countries are mandatory to follow their obligations under the Indus Water Treaty signed in the World Bank’s mediation in 1960. However, Pakistan’s repeated support to terrorist activities and lack of cooperation under the treaty forced India to take this drastic step.
Pakistan’s sharp reaction
Pakistan has called India’s decision “provoked” and “similar to war”. Pakistani officials claimed that any kind of obstruction or change in the flow of water received by Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty would be considered as a declaration of war. Islamabad announced the suspension of all bilateral agreements with India, including the 1972 Shimla Agreement. In addition, Pakistan announced the closure of trade, wagah border transit, and aircraft use with immediate effect.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif convened a high -level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on the issue, in which the three army chiefs and chief ministers participated. The statement released after the meeting said, “Pakistan will exercise its right to suspend all bilateral agreements with India. The Wagah Border Outpost will be closed with immediate effect, and any cross transit from India will be suspended without exception.” It was also clarified in the statement that those who have crossed the border with valid approval can return from the Wagah route by 30 April, but after that the facility will also be closed.
Pahalgam attack and increased tension
The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir further increased the tension between the two countries. India blamed Pakistan -backed terrorist organizations for this attack and described it as a major cause of suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. India also said that the works of Permanent Indus Commission formed by Pakistan repeatedly under the treaty have been interrupted, which has made it impossible to cooperate in management of water resources.
Why is Indus Water Agreement important
The Indus Water Treaty is a historic agreement signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, which controls the water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej). Under this, the water of Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers is mainly for the use of India, while the water of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers has been allocated to Pakistan. The treaty has been the basis of management of water resources between the two countries for decades, but in recent years the two sides have accused each other of violation of the treaty.
International reaction
This decision of India has attracted the attention of the international community. The World Bank, which is the mediator of this treaty, has appealed to both countries to restraint and resolve the dispute through negotiations. The United Nations has also said to monitor the situation, while some experts have warned that this step may affect stability in South Asia.
Also read .. What is the Shimla Agreement? Know what is the importance of Pakistan’s threat after the Pahalgam attack?
