India Stalls Indus Waters Treaty Talks, Demands Terror Resolution
India has refused to resume talks with Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty framework, citing persistent cross-border terrorism and lack of credible action from Islamabad. Officials confirmed that India has received multiple communications from Pakistan requesting bilateral discussions on the treaty, but the government has made it clear that no engagement will occur until terror-related concerns are adequately addressed.
Talks Paused Over Pahalgam Attack
The refusal to engage comes in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 Indian soldiers lost their lives. This incident, among others, has led India to harden its position, asserting that the climate for any form of bilateral cooperation cannot exist while terror groups continue to operate with impunity from Pakistani soil.
The government maintains that water diplomacy cannot be separated from national security, especially when Indian lives are lost due to terrorist violence emanating from across the border.
India’s Treaty Review and Water Strategy
Following the escalation in tensions, India unilaterally paused its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty process and initiated a comprehensive review of its water resource strategy. This includes accelerating infrastructure development to harness its full share of the eastern rivers under the treaty and exploring means to limit downstream benefit to Pakistan without breaching the treaty’s core obligations.
The re-evaluation signals a significant shift from past diplomatic restraint, with India now prioritizing strategic autonomy in water management.
Pakistan’s Requests and India’s Firm Response
While Pakistan’s Water Resources Secretary has reached out multiple times proposing dialogue, India has not entertained any of the requests. According to Indian officials, such overtures are viewed as attempts to deflect attention from Islamabad’s failure to dismantle terror networks operating within its territory.
India has made it clear that talks—whether on water, trade, or people-to-people contact—will remain suspended until Pakistan takes demonstrable steps against terrorism. The linkage between security and treaty obligations has now been firmly drawn.
The freeze on Indus Waters Treaty talks reflects a broader diplomatic impasse between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. As long as Islamabad does not deliver on counter-terrorism commitments, New Delhi is unlikely to revisit water cooperation mechanisms. What was once hailed as a model of peaceful conflict resolution now hangs in balance—held hostage to regional instability and unresolved hostility.
