Indus Waters Treaty Was Never Primarily About Water

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), placed in abeyance by India following the April 2025 terrorist attack, has drawn international attention, but its fundamental nature has often been misunderstood. The 1960 agreement was not primarily a technical water-sharing arrangement but rather a political compact built on deep trust, goodwill, and strategic restraint between India and Pakistan.

Negotiated by the World Bank after the Partition of India and Pakistan, the treaty represented an ambitious effort to create a sphere of cooperation capable of transcending the countries' political tensions. India agreed to considerable concessions, including access to the western river system and limits on its own development rights, while Pakistan received approximately 80 percent of the basin's annual flow.

For decades, the treaty withstood wars, crises, and diplomatic ruptures, demonstrating unique resilience. India continued to honor the agreement despite repeated military confrontations and terrorist attacks. The treaty remained intact through numerous historical events, including the wars of 1965 and 1971, and the terrorist attacks of 2001 and 2008.

More recently, India has come to view Pakistan's repeated objections to infrastructure projects as strategic obstruction that undermines the treaty's spirit of cooperation. Furthermore, Pakistan's water security issues have been presented as stemming more from domestic factors, such as underinvestment and inefficient irrigation, rather than solely from India's position as an "upper riparian state."

In light of these developments, India's decision to place the treaty in abeyance after the April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack is seen as a prolonged reassessment of whether a treaty based on reciprocity can survive when the political trust behind it has eroded.