Pakistan Seeks Canada’s Help on Indus Treaty
Pakistan has asked Canada to support the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty with India, accusing New Delhi of using water as a strategic weapon amid continuing tensions between the neighbouring countries.
Pakistan seeks Canadian support on treaty
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar raised the issue during talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Islamabad.
At a joint press conference, Dar said India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance had introduced another destabilising factor into an already volatile regional security environment.
He appealed to Canada and other friendly countries to press India to restore the agreement, end what Islamabad describes as the “weaponisation of water” and comply with international treaty obligations.
Canada did not publicly commit to intervening in the dispute. The Indus Waters Treaty and Kashmir were reportedly absent from the joint statement issued after the talks.
India keeps Indus treaty in abeyance
India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based terrorists for the attack, while Islamabad denied involvement.
India maintains that the agreement will remain suspended until Pakistan credibly and permanently ends its support for cross-border terrorism. Indian officials have also argued that the treaty cannot continue in its existing form because of changing population needs, climate conditions and clean-energy priorities.
Indus Waters Treaty dispute continues
Signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, the treaty allocates the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej primarily to India. The Indus, Jhelum and Chenab are reserved largely for Pakistan, subject to specified Indian usage rights.
Pakistan depends heavily on the western rivers for agriculture, drinking water and electricity generation.
India has rejected rulings issued by a Court of Arbitration examining treaty disputes, describing the body as improperly constituted. New Delhi says its decision to hold the agreement in abeyance remains valid and that any future water-sharing arrangement would require substantial renegotiation.
