Bikaner: India will no longer allow Pakistan access to water from rivers over which it holds sovereign rights, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Thursday. The statement comes just a month after New Delhi suspended the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, had stood as a rare symbol of cooperation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. However, India pulled out of the agreement following a brutal assault on April 22 that left 26 people dead—mostly Hindu pilgrims—prompting a swift escalation in bilateral tensions.
In a public address in the border state of Rajasthan, Modi warned of serious consequences for Islamabad. “Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack … Pakistan’s army will pay it, Pakistan’s economy will pay it,” he said.
New Delhi has squarely blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the April 22 attack—a charge Islamabad strongly denies. The fallout from the assault saw both nations engage in their most intense military confrontations in nearly 30 years before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
Despite the treaty’s suspension, Pakistan’s Finance Minister recently downplayed the development, asserting that the decision would not have “any immediate impact” on the country. Nevertheless, the treaty provides water for roughly 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural lands via three rivers originating in India, highlighting its critical importance.
The fragile ceasefire has largely held since the agreement, with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirming a de-escalation along the border. “There is no exchange of fire currently and there has been some repositioning of forces accordingly,” he told Dutch broadcaster NOS.
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Jaishankar further emphasized India’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism. “The (military) operation continues because there is a clear message… that if there are acts of the kind we saw on April 22, there will be a response, we will hit the terrorists,” he stated. “If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are,” he added.
Islamabad has yet to officially respond to the latest remarks made by Modi and Jaishankar.
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India and Pakistan have shared a history of hostility since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. They have fought three wars—two over the disputed territory of Kashmir, a region both countries claim in full but govern in part. Tensions in the region have remained high, with New Delhi persistently accusing Islamabad of aiding Islamist insurgents in Indian-controlled Kashmir—a claim Pakistan continues to deny.
Since the April attack, both countries have ramped up retaliatory measures, including trade suspensions, visa bans, and border closures, marking a significant deterioration in already strained ties.
