India will not restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) unless Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism, news agency ANI mentioned government sources as saying on Tuesday, asserting that the 1960 agreement cannot operate under the current circumstances.
According to the sources, any discussion on reconsidering or renegotiating the treaty can begin only after Pakistan fulfils this condition. They said the agreement remains in abeyance following the Cabinet Committee on Security’s decision of April 23, 2025, taken after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.
Treaty no longer reflects present-day realities
The sources said India had asked Pakistan in 2023 to review the treaty, arguing that it no longer reflects current realities, including India’s growing population, rising water demand, climate challenges and advances in engineering.
They said Pakistan declined to discuss the proposed changes.
“The Treaty was based on the engineering techniques of the 1950s. Since then, India’s population demographics, need to generate clean energy, water demand for irrigation and drinking water, climate change challenges and technological capabilities have changed fundamentally,” the sources said.
India accuses Pakistan of misusing dispute mechanism
The sources alleged that Pakistan repeatedly used the treaty’s dispute-resolution provisions to delay Indian hydropower projects by escalating technical disagreements to international forums.
They also reiterated India’s position that the Court of Arbitration examining disputes under the treaty was “illegally constituted” and that its proceedings and decisions have no legal validity.
According to the sources, Pakistan bypassed the treaty’s prescribed sequence for dispute resolution by approaching the Court of Arbitration directly instead of first pursuing bilateral engagement and the Neutral Expert mechanism.
Institutional mechanisms remain suspended
The sources said all institutional arrangements under the treaty, including meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission, inspections and routine exchange of hydrological and project-related data, remain inoperative while the agreement stays in abeyance.
However, they said India will continue issuing flood warnings to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. According to the sources, India voluntarily shared 23 such warnings during the previous flood season outside the treaty framework and intends to continue doing so to protect lives and property.
Hydropower projects to be accelerated
The sources said India will accelerate work on several hydropower projects in the Chenab basin, including the Sawalkote, Pakal Dul, Ratle, Kiru and Kwar projects.
They added that reservoir management and sediment flushing at projects such as Salal and Baglihar will be undertaken to restore storage capacity, improve dam safety and enhance power generation, describing these as internationally accepted engineering practices.
Pakistan’s water problems are domestic: Sources
The sources maintained that Pakistan’s water challenges stem largely from inadequate storage capacity, ageing irrigation infrastructure and inefficient water management rather than upstream projects in India.
They said India’s focus during the suspension of the treaty will remain on optimal use of its legitimate share of Indus waters through scientific basin management, infrastructure upgrades, clean energy generation and stronger water security.
“The Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. This is the threshold condition. The question of reconsideration or renegotiation would arise only after this condition is fulfilled,” the sources said.