India issues notice to Pakistan seeking changes to Indus Water Treaty

India has officially asked Pakistan to modify the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a more than 60-year-old agreement that governs water sharing of six rivers between the two countries. India issued a formal notice to Pakistan, citing “fundamental and unforeseen” changes in circumstances that require a reassessment of the treaty.

This request comes under Article XII(3) of the IWT, which allows for modifications through a new treaty agreed upon by both governments. The notice indicates India’s frustration with Pakistan’s rigid stance on managing cross-border water disputes and issues related to terrorism.

India’s request to review the Indus Water Treaty is not the first of its kind. Back in January 2023, India asked for a review because of ongoing disagreements with Pakistan over Indian hydropower projects on the Kishanganga and Chenab rivers. These projects have caused repeated conflicts between the two countries.

In 2015, Pakistan asked for a Neutral Expert to look into technical issues with Indian hydropower projects on the Kishanganga and Ratle rivers. But in 2016, Pakistan changed its request and wanted a Court of Arbitration instead. Pakistan then contacted the World Bank, which helped create the 1960 treaty, to set up this Court. India disagreed, saying that Pakistan’s new request didn’t follow the treaty’s dispute resolution rules and instead asked for a Neutral Expert.

The relationship between India and Pakistan worsened after a terror attack in Uri in 2016. This attack led some in India to call for ending the Indus Water Treaty. Since then, India has stopped regular meetings between the water commissioners of both countries.

India’s latest move aims to address ongoing concerns and renew negotiations under the IWT provisions, hoping for a more effective and equitable resolution to the long-standing water-sharing disputes with Pakistan.

Indus Water Treaty, 1960 deal between India and Pakistan

The Indus Water Treaty, signed on September 19, 1960, is an agreement between India and Pakistan on sharing the Indus River’s water. It was negotiated over nine years and brokered by the World Bank, then known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The treaty was signed by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan.

Since the partition of India in 1947, the Indus River has been a point of contention among India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. The river originates in Tibet. In 1948, India temporarily blocked water to Pakistan but resumed it after a ceasefire. By 1951, Pakistan had brought the issue to the United Nations, accusing India of cutting water supplies to Pakistani villages. Following UN recommendations, the World Bank proposed the treaty in 1954, which was eventually formalized in 1960.

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