Introduction;
On 23rd April 2025, India unilaterally announced holding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, stating that the treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its so-called support for cross-border terrorism.[1] Historically, India has employed water as an instrument of war against Pakistan. It notified Pakistan through the World Bank of its plan to put the treaty on hold and seek revision in 2003 after the Indian Parliament attack.[2] Continuing the same pattern, New Delhi halted the IWT Commission meeting after the Uri incident.[3] Likewise, the treaty was kept in abeyance after the recent Pahalgam incident.
Life on Earth owes its existence to water. It has been a source of artistic expression in songs, literature, and dance. It would not be exaggerated to say that water has been the biggest patron of civilization, from Mesopotamia to the Indus. Today, there are approximately 261 international river basins that cover about half of the world’s area.[4] Almost half of the world’s population lives in transboundary river basins.[5] In this context, the Indus River Basin is one of the most important river basins in the world. Almost 300 million people live in it and depend on it directly or indirectly for their survival.[6] As waters have no clear boundaries, it has been a source of conflict since the very birth of humanity. The Indus River Basin is no exception.
