Pak signals willingness to engage on Indus Waters Treaty with India

New Delhi: Weeks after India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan has signalled its willingness to discuss New Delhi's long-standing concerns about the treaty, sources said.

According to the sources, Pakistan's Water Resources Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza has responded to the Indian government's formal notification on the treaty's suspension.

In the letter to his Indian counterpart Debashree Mukherjee, Murtaza expressed his government's readiness to discuss specific objections raised by New Delhi.

He also questioned the legal basis of India's move by pointing out that the treaty contains no exit clause.

However, the Indian government remains firm on its decision.

When contacted, officials from the Jal Shakti Ministry refused to officially comment on the development but government sources indicated that under the current circumstances, India's position is unlikely to change.

The sources reiterated that the decision to suspend the treaty was prompted by "sustained cross-border terrorism targeting Jammu and Kashmir".

In a letter dated April 24, Mukherjee had informed Murtaza that "Pakistan's refusal to engage in negotiations as envisaged under the treaty and its continued sponsorship of terrorism, constituted a breach of the treaty".

Significantly, Pakistan's latest appeal -- described in the letter as a call to reconsider the decision due to the dependence of millions on the regulated waters -- was delivered even as India carried out flushing and desilting operations at the Baglihar and Salal hydropower projects on the Chenab river.

While Murtaza's letter shows Pakistan has softened its stance, the sources said the tone of the communication remains combative with Islamabad terming India's move "unilateral and illegal".

But Indian officials said the principle of "change of circumstances", as seen through repeated acts of terrorism and climate change, provides grounds for a review of the treaty.

Previously, India issued notices to Pakistan in January 2023 and September 2024.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the distribution and use of the water of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.

The Indus river system comprises the main river, the Indus, and its tributaries. Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are collectively referred to as the eastern rivers, while the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab are known as the western rivers.

The water of this river system is crucial for both India and Pakistan.