Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in 2025, the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a six-decade-old water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has been thrown into uncertainty.

Following the horrible terror attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir—allegedly carried out by a Pakistan-based militant group—India suspended the treaty on April 23, 2025, citing national security concerns and accusing Pakistan of supporting state-sponsored terrorism. This marked an unprecedented move, as the treaty had previously withstood multiple wars and diplomatic crises without suspension.

India's suspension effectively put the treaty "in abeyance," halting the normal functioning of transboundary water cooperation. Immediate actions included stopping water flow on the Chenab River from the Baglihar Dam and flushing the reservoirs of Salal and Baglihar projects off-season, violating treaty provisions and without notifying Pakistan.

The Indian government portrayed this as a "short-term punitive measure." While India gained greater flexibility over the usage and control of western rivers (Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus), it also stopped sharing flood data with Pakistan and denied Pakistani officials site visit rights for hydroelectric projects, further straining relations.

Pakistan reacted strongly to these developments, branding India's suspension as an "act of war." Senior Pakistani leaders, including military chief Asim Munir and politician Bilawal Bhutto, issued nuclear and war threats in response to India's decisions.

Against this backdrop of war-mongering rhetoric, Pakistan's Foreign Office issued a formal plea urging India to immediately resume the normal functioning of the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to the treaty's full implementation and welcomed the recent Court of Arbitration's interpretation concerning criteria for India's new run-of-river hydropower projects on the western rivers. This request came despite the intense political and military rhetoric surrounding the dispute, highlighting the critical importance both countries place on the treaty for water security.

The request from Pakistan followed a nuclear war threat from its military chief Asim Munir and a war cry by former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto over India's stand on the water sharing pact.

Following the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in 2025, Pakistan has issued a formal request to India to resume the normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty, even as war threats have been exchanged between senior Pakistani leaders and India. The backdrop of this development is complex, marked by serious security concerns and diplomatic ruptures.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, is a critical water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan. It regulates the use of water from six rivers of the Indus river system, assigning control over the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej) to India, and the western rivers (Indus, Chenab, Jhelum) to Pakistan.

Despite being suspended by India in April 2025 following a terror attack in Pahalgam attributed to Pakistan-based militants, Pakistan remains committed to the treaty. On August 12, 2025, Pakistan’s Foreign Office urged India to fulfil its treaty obligations faithfully and to immediately resume normal operations of the treaty.

Pakistan welcomed a recent Court of Arbitration interpretation favourable to its unrestricted use of water from the western rivers and insisted that any Indian hydroelectric projects conform strictly to treaty conditions rather than unilateral Indian standards.

However, the diplomatic waters are troubled by harsh rhetoric. Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto warned of war if India continues to put the treaty on hold, asserting that India’s actions have caused great damage to Pakistan.

He called on Pakistanis to unite against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made clear that Pakistanis are "strong enough for war" to reclaim control over all six rivers.

The day prior, Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir escalated the confrontation with a nuclear war threat, stating Pakistan would "take down half the world" if faced with an existential threat in a conflict with India. He also threateningly declared that any Indian dams on the Indus system would be destroyed with "ten missiles," underscoring the high stakes in the water dispute.

India, on its part, suspended the treaty citing national security concerns and accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism. It also rejected the Court of Arbitration’s proceedings initiated by Pakistan, denouncing them as illegal.

India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is unprecedented since the treaty’s signing and reflects a significant shift in India-Pakistan relations, raising concerns about future cooperation on trans-boundary water governance.

Despite the suspension, experts note that cooperation over the Indus water resources is indispensable given mounting water pressures in the region.

This crisis over the Indus Waters Treaty reflects the intertwining of water security with geopolitical and military tensions in South Asia, with Pakistan making a strong legal and diplomatic call for treaty adherence even as war and nuclear threats escalate in the backdrop.

The situation demands cautious diplomatic management to prevent further deterioration and to ensure cooperation on critical water resources shared by both countries.

Based On A NDTV Report