2024-09-28 07:43:27
Islamabad: India has sent a notice to Pakistan to renegotiate parts of the Indus Water Treaty. After this notice, Pakistan’s arrogance has weakened. He is invoking the decades old agreement. Pakistan says that both the countries should accept the terms of this treaty and Pakistan is committed to this. Under this agreement, India and Pakistan share the waters of six Himalayan rivers among themselves.
Indus Water Treaty has been in place for six decades
For more than 64 years, this treaty has been seen as a strong diplomatic agreement. This agreement remained in place even when the two countries fought wars and relations sank to very low levels. However, in recent years there has been increasing dispute between India and Pakistan over the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty. The culmination of this was seen in the form of a notice last week.
What is the dispute over Indus Water Treaty
In 1960, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former President of Pakistan Ayub Khan signed the Indus Water Treaty. Under this treaty, India gets the waters of the three eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, while Pakistan gets the waters of the western rivers – Chenab, Jhelum and Indus. India can build hydropower projects on western rivers only if they do not alter the flow of water. But deep mistrust between the two sides means differences over two Indian projects in Jammu and Kashmir – the Baglihar plant on the Chenab and the Kishanganga on the Jhelum – have escalated into a broader dispute over the treaty.
Why is Pakistan worried
Pakistan has said it is concerned that these projects will disrupt its access to water from the Chenab and Jhelum. India has rejected that criticism. Under the treaty, any dispute may first be taken up by commissioners appointed by both parties and if they fail to resolve the differences, the help of an independent, World Bank-appointed expert may be sought.
Pakistan violated the treaty
Pakistan first sought an independent expert and then withdrew, instead seeking a ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a global dispute resolution body based in The Hague. India has refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the PCA, arguing that Pakistan has violated the mechanisms set out in the treaty to resolve differences. Against that backdrop, India has now said the agreement needs to be reconsidered in view of the growing population and climate stress.
Why does India want review of the treaty?
However, India’s exact demands are not clear. India has long complained that its farmers get much less water than Pakistani farmers. Western rivers carry much more water than eastern rivers. It is not clear how Pakistan will react to India’s notice. But both sides have responsibilities towards their people and their shared geography. In such a situation, both the countries will have to find a way to keep the Indus Water Treaty alive and functional. The only alternative is water war, which neither India nor Pakistan can afford.