World Bank’s President, Ajay Banga, in his latest remark about the Indus Waters Treaty, has said that India cannot suspend the treaty without Pakistan’s consent.
India suspended the treaty on April 23, 2025; one day after the Pahalgam incident in Indian Occupied Kashmir, blaming Pakistan for the attack without substantial evidence.
Pakistan has repeatedly shared its stance that if India blocks Pakistan’s strategic waters, it will be considered an act of war, since millions depend on these waters for agriculture and hence food security is directly linked with uninterrupted water flow.
In a move that directly clashes with international norms, and IWT’s own clauses, India pulled out of treaty unilaterally, a move that is being acknowledge worldwide as politically motivated.
Read More: Can India Really Pull Out of Indus Water Treaty?
The treaty was signed in 1960 and the World Bank is a facilitator, often dubbed a protector, whenever any disagreement occurs on this water-sharing deal.
Earlier, reports also suggested that Pakistan is considering legal options against India’s suspension of the treaty.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said that the government was working on plans for at least three different legal options, including raising the issue at the World Bank, which is the treaty’s facilitator.
He said that Islamabad is also considering taking action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where it could argue that New Delhi has breached the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Read More: Pakistan Plans Legal Action Over India’s Indus Waters Treaty Move
Moreover, Clause 3 and 4 of the Article 12 of the IWT protect it against any party unilaterally revoking or making changes to it, which means any change is possible only when both parties agree.
In the early days after the suspension by India on April 23, news also surfaced that India has begun work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Nuzhat Rana is the Managing Editor (website) at The Diplomatic Insight.
