Indus water treaty to remain in abeyance until Pak ends cross-border terrorism: Jaishankar

New Delhi: Amid Pakistan's appeal to India to reconsider its position on the Indus Waters Treaty, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the treaty will continue to remain in abeyance until Pakistan puts an end to cross-border terrorism.

“The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is held in abeyance and will continue to be held in abeyance until the cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped..,” Jaishankar told reporters.

India made it clear that the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan does not alter its earlier measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Pakistan Ministry of Water Resources Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza, in his letter to India’s Jal Shakti ministry secretary Debashree Mukherjee asked India to nominate representatives who could engage in talks with Pakistan’s Indus Commissioner.

Following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, the government announced a series of strong retaliatory steps against Pakistan, including the suspension of the IWT.

The IWT, brokered by the World Bank, outlines the terms for sharing and managing the Indus River and its five tributaries — Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab — between India and Pakistan. It also mandates regular information exchange between the two countries. 

India has now announced a three-tier strategy — short-term, mid-term, and long-term to prevent any flow of Indus waters into Pakistan. The Narendra Modi government is taking steps to utilise the water for irrigation. 

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil earlier said steps are being taken to ensure that not a single drop of water is allowed out of Indian territory.