India Keeps Indus Treaty in Abeyance One Year After Op Sindoor

The agreement governing sharing of river waters between India and Pakistan was suspended following the Pahalgam terror attack, marking a major change in bilateral water sharing arrangements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described the agreement as unfair and against India’s national interests, saying in his Independence Day speech in 2025 that “blood and water cannot flow together”.

Prime Minister Modi had said, “India has decided that blood and water will no longer flow together. People have realized that the Indus Waters Treaty is unfair. Water from the Indus River system irrigated enemy lands while our farmers were suffering.”

He also stated that the agreement was unacceptable in the interests of Indian farmers and national development, noting that India had to give up approximately 80 percent of its water under the agreement.

Former diplomat Dilip Sinha said India has historically been placed at a disadvantage due to Pakistan’s “obstructionist” approach under the treaty framework.

Speaking to ANI, Sinha said Pakistan has repeatedly delayed Indian hydropower and development projects even though dispute resolution mechanisms generally support India’s position.

“Our experience with the treaty over the years has been that Pakistan’s attitude has been obstructionist and deeply negative,” he said, adding that it was becoming increasingly difficult for India to get even the limited benefits it was entitled to under the treaty.

The Indus river system consists of the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers. Under the 1960 agreement, India received exclusive rights over the eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, while Pakistan received rights over the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, while India retained limited usage rights.

Sinha also alleged that Pakistan was misusing various bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including cross-Line of Control trade and transport links, to promote terrorism against India.

“Pakistan was reluctant to cooperate with us and used every possible means to harm India’s interests,” he said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Police Director General Shesh Paul Vaid also supported India’s tougher stance on the agreement and emphasized the strategic importance of water resources.

“Water is everything. Future wars will be over water. Water is important for economic and agricultural development,” Vaid told ANI.

Terming the Indus Waters Treaty as an “unbalanced agreement”, Vaid said Prime Minister Modi’s statement that “blood and water cannot flow together” was justified in the light of repeated cross-border terrorist attacks.

“You cannot continue to shed blood here and ask for water,” he said, adding that Pakistan must stop supporting terrorism if it expects restoration of cooperation.

Meanwhile, Pakistan recently concluded its arguments at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and accused India of violating the provisions of the treaty through hydropower projects on the Chenab river, including the Kiru, Kwar, Baglihar and Dul Hasti projects.

However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that New Delhi was no longer obliged to comply with the terms of the agreement since the agreement had ceased to apply.

Even a year after the agreement was suspended, all gates of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab river remain closed.

Sinha said India must now focus on maximizing the use of its water resources for agriculture, energy production and regional development.

“Personally, I believe we should cancel the agreement,” he said, arguing that there is no international law compelling India to continue with arrangements that harm its interests.

He added that the responsibility now lies with Pakistan to change its approach if it seeks cooperation from India in the future.

Earlier this year, President Droupadi Murmu also emphasized in Parliament that suspending the agreement forms part of India’s broader strategy to combat terrorism and protect national security.

As India marks the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, officials say the country’s security doctrine has improved, setting a new benchmark in India’s fight against terrorism and reshaping relations with Pakistan.