Overview

• India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty comes in response to a militant attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.
• The treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has no provision for unilateral suspension, creating legal and diplomatic uncertainty.
• India has ceased sharing water flow data and is no longer obligated to release minimum water to Pakistan during lean seasons.
• Pakistan, heavily reliant on the Indus basin for agriculture, faces potential long-term risks to its food and water security despite no immediate impact due to India's limited infrastructure to alter water flows.
• Pakistan's Power Minister condemned the suspension as 'illegal' and 'water warfare,' highlighting the escalating tensions between the two nations.