Indus Waters Treaty

As international opinion turns against state-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan, India has to be prepared for renewed pressure to re-engage in a dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir. Broadening the agenda is the time-tested diplomatic approach to such negotiations and the inevitable give-and-take. India’s graded response on allocation of Indus waters should be ratcheted up, beyond use and dispute resolution, as the treaty is not functional in the current setting.

Chairing a meeting to review the Indus Waters Treaty (iwt), following the terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri in September 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided on greater use of the rivers allotted to India. In Uri, 17 soldiers died and now in Pulwama, 44 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed by a terrorist. Clearly, the approach to the treaty provisions needs further review, this time on the principles of water allocation as they are not equitable.