India-Pakistan Water Dispute Escalates Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday that Pakistan will no longer receive water from rivers over which India holds rights, intensifying the dispute over water access following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In response, Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan emphasized Islamabad’s willingness to discuss water-sharing but insisted India adhere to the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank that guarantees Pakistan access to 80% of water from rivers flowing from India.
India suspended the treaty last month after the April 22 attack, blamed on Pakistan by New Delhi, a claim Pakistan denies. Modi warned that Pakistan would “pay a heavy price” economically and militarily for terrorism.
Despite heightened rhetoric, a ceasefire agreed on May 10 has largely held, with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar warning that India will target terrorists wherever they are, including inside Pakistan.
The two nuclear-armed neighbors have a long history of conflict, particularly over Kashmir, which both claim but control in parts. Recent violence in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where five were killed in a suicide bombing, has further strained relations, with Pakistan accusing Indian-backed proxies of involvement.
