Overview
- India has kept the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance since the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and says the river-sharing provisions cannot operate again in their current form.
- Indian officials say any reactivation hinges on Pakistan taking credible, irreversible steps to end cross‑border terrorism and that the treaty must be renegotiated to reflect modern climate and technical realities.
- While institutional mechanisms under the treaty remain suspended, New Delhi is accelerating hydropower and river-management work in the Chenab basin, including Kiru, Pakal Dul, Ratle, Kwar and Sawalkote projects.
- Pakistan appealed to Canada for support to restore the treaty during a July 20–21 diplomatic visit, but the Canadian delegation made no public endorsement and focused on other bilateral issues.
- The legality of India's unilateral suspension is disputed by Pakistan, the treaty’s graded dispute process has been a source of friction, and the standoff raises water-security, diplomatic and humanitarian risks for millions downstream.