Pakistan has decided to issue a formal legal notice to India in response to New Delhi’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a move that has triggered urgent legal and constitutional deliberations in Islamabad.
According to media reports, initial preparations have been completed, and coordinated efforts are underway among the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Water Resources, and Law.
Officials from these ministries have reportedly agreed to notify India through diplomatic channels in the coming days. The legal notice will demand a clear explanation from India regarding its decision to suspend the decades-old treaty, which governs the use and distribution of waters from the Indus River system.
The Permanent Indus Commission, responsible for overseeing treaty implementation, has indicated that Pakistan holds a legal upper hand in the dispute. The Commission expressed hope that India will revisit its stance and reaffirm its commitment to the treaty. It further emphasized that any actions taken will be in accordance with approvals from the government and cabinet.
India suspended its participation in the World Bank-brokered 1960 treaty last week, citing a deadly attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 lives. The Indian government accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism and stated that the treaty would remain suspended until Islamabad provides “credible and irreversible” assurances to the contrary. Pakistan has firmly denied any involvement in the incident.
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The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, allocates control of the six major rivers of the Indus basin between India and Pakistan and is vital to Pakistan’s agriculture and hydropower, as it governs access to water for nearly 80 percent of its irrigated land.
