Pakistan to Issue Formal Notice to India Over Indus Waters Treaty Suspension
Islamabad, May 3 – Pakistan has decided to issue a formal diplomatic notice to India following New Delhi’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), officials confirmed.
The decision comes after legal and constitutional consultations between Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Water Resources, and Ministry of Law. The notice, expected to be dispatched in the coming days, will seek concrete explanations from India regarding its decision to put the treaty in abeyance.
Pakistan considers India’s move a violation of international obligations and is preparing to lodge formal complaints at global forums, including the World Bank (WB), which serves as the treaty’s guarantor. Additional protests may be filed at the United Nations (UN) and other diplomatic platforms.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, governs water-sharing between India and Pakistan. India’s suspension of the treaty follows the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based groups for the attack, prompting a series of retaliatory measures, including the closure of airspace to Pakistani aircraft and the expulsion of Pakistani nationals from India.
Pakistan maintains that it holds legal precedence over the treaty and hopes that India will be compelled to reconsider its decision. Officials in Islamabad have reiterated that “water aggression” by India could have serious consequences for regional stability.
