New Delhi cites humanitarian grounds as Islamabad warns of treaty breach
Despite India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in suspension and the recent Operation Sindoor, New Delhi has, on humanitarian grounds, shared sensitive information with Pakistan. On Monday, August 25, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that India had conveyed flood warnings, clarifying that the alerts were sent through diplomatic channels instead of the Indus Waters Commission, as normally required under the treaty.
Earlier in April, India had placed the treaty in abeyance after the attack in Pahalgam, occupied Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. India held Pakistan responsible, though Islamabad rejected the accusation, calling any suspension of its treaty rights an “act of war,” since the IWT provides no scope for unilateral suspension.
The treaty itself, under paragraph 8 of Article IV, obligates both countries to share advance information on extraordinary water discharges and flood flows that could impact the other side. Against this backdrop, and amid the looming flood threat in Punjab, India’s High Commission in Islamabad notified Pakistani authorities on Sunday of high flood levels in Jammu’s Tawi River, which flows into the Chenab.
Punjab has already been bracing for severe flooding, with thousands evacuated along the Sutlej River over the weekend as water levels surged dangerously at Ganda Singh Wala, reaching nearly 130,000 cusecs.
Pakistan’s FO spokesperson, Shahfqat Ali Khan, confirmed that India’s message was received on August 24 but reiterated that communication outside the IWC framework fell short of treaty obligations. He stressed that India’s unilateral decision to suspend the agreement amounts to a breach of international law with potentially serious implications for regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, an Indian government source told Reuters that the warning was shared purely on humanitarian considerations, following heavy rainfall in occupied Kashmir. While the foreign ministry in New Delhi has yet to comment officially, the gesture signals a complex mix of caution, obligation, and diplomacy amid strained ties between the two neighbours.
August 27, 2025
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