Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday urged India to resume technical dialogue and water-related data sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan said that cooperation has become even more important due to the increasing pressure of climate change, especially after New Delhi "unilaterally suspended the agreement."
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made this statement while addressing a seminar in Washington. He outlined a three-point approach that included fully implementing the 1960 treaty and using the treaty's mechanisms to resolve disputes between the nuclear-armed neighboring countries. Addressing the seminar virtually, Dar said, "Pakistan and India should resume and strengthen the process of technical dialogue, transparency, and data sharing in accordance with the treaty."
India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty
Ishaq Dar further said, "These are not unreasonable demands. They are requirements of a sincere agreement between two sovereign countries that has existed for more than six decades." India suspended this World Bank-mediated treaty in April 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack in which Pakistani terrorists killed 26 Hindu tourists after asking them about their religion. India has made it clear that "blood and water cannot flow together."
Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the agreement is "valid, binding and fully enforceable." He argued that the treaty's survival over more than six decades, despite wars, military crises and ruptures in diplomatic relations, shows how important it is to insulate shared water resources from political tensions. He said the dispute has become even more urgent as climate change has increased pressure on Pakistan's water supply, which is already one of the world's most water-stressed countries.
Pakistan's attempt to make the Indus Treaty an international issue
Ishaq Dar has sought to raise international concern about the dispute, stating at a meeting in Washington that unilateral interference with treaty provisions could have consequences far beyond South Asia. Pakistan alleges that India's decision to unilaterally suspend the treaty could set a precedent and should cause concern for countries around the world located downstream of the river. He stated, "Therefore, the international community has a legitimate interest in maintaining treaty-based water management in South Asia."