Pakistan urges India to fully comply with Indus Waters Treaty

September 06, 2025 (MLN): The Foreign Office (FO) of Pakistan has reiterated its call for India to fully comply with the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), citing a lack of detailed information sharing regarding the recent release of floodwaters.

During his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated that while the Indian side had provided some information on flooding in different rivers, the details were not as comprehensive as in the past.

He also noted that the established channel of the Permanent Indus Commission had not been utilized for this purpose.

The spokesperson underscored the importance of the 1960 treaty, which governs the water distribution of the six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two countries.

The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has long been considered a key confidence-building measure between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, surviving multiple conflicts and periods of high tension.

Khan's remarks highlight a persistent point of contention between India and Pakistan regarding water management.

While India has control of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej), Pakistan holds control of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab).

The treaty allows India limited, non-consumptive use of the western rivers for purposes like power generation, but requires it to let the waters flow unimpeded to Pakistan.

Pakistan, as the lower riparian state, has consistently expressed concerns over Indian projects and information-sharing practices, which it views as a threat to its water security.

The spokesperson’s comments on the Indus Waters Treaty were made in the context of a broader briefing that also addressed Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and its condemnation of recent Israeli strikes on Al Nasser Hospital in Gaza.

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