In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic and strategic measures, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)—India’s apex national security body—has indefinitely suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. The move follows a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people, including one foreign national, were killed. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty will remain in effect until Pakistan verifiably and irreversibly ceases support for cross-border terrorism. Signed with World Bank mediation, the treaty had survived three wars but is now on hold amid heightened tensions.
Key steps outlined by the CCS include closure of the Attari-Wagah Integrated Check Post, cancellation of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas for Pakistani nationals, and expulsion of defence attachés from both High Commissions. India will reduce the staff strength at both High Commissions to 30 by May 1, 2025.
Under the treaty, India had control over the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, while Pakistan accessed the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. The treaty was long regarded as a rare and stable accord between the two nuclear-armed nations.
This is not the first time India has considered such a move. In 2019, following the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Modi declared that "blood and water can't flow together," though no action was taken then.
The current suspension is a powerful geopolitical signal. Experts note that Pakistan, already facing critical water shortages due to mismanagement, population pressure, and climate stress, now risks an even more severe crisis.
The CCS has also directed Indian forces to maintain high alert, vowing justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators and their backers.
