Citing Pakistan's Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, IE reported that he is understood to have recently responded to India's formal intimation of the United Cabinet's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance and offered to, on behalf of his government, discuss the specific terms India objects to.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India announced on April 23 that it was suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. After this announcement, Pakistan has, for the first time, shown interest in discussing the agreement issues that India has flagged, according to the Indian Express.
Citing Pakistan's Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, Indian Express reported that he is understood to have recently responded to India's formal intimation of the United Cabinet's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance and offered to, on behalf of his government, discuss the specific terms India objects to.
According to sources cited by the Indian Express, Murtaza has questioned the basis of India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, highlighting that the treaty lacks an exit clause.
Pakistan's offer to discuss the Indus Waters Treaty is significant, particularly since it had previously ignored India's requests to review and revise the treaty in January 2023 and September 2024.
The recent deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and India's subsequent suspension of the treaty appear to have prompted Pakistan's willingness to engage in talks.
The Indian Express also reported that it tried to contact Murtaza's office on Wednesday but did not receive a response.
Pakistan's willingness to participate in the Indus Water Treaty is being discussed within the government, as hostilities have ceased after four days of military confrontation.
India is keen to use the river's water by building dams and reservoirs to store the water and also use it for power generation. Islamabad's participation is aimed at stopping such plans, as any construction would change the status quo on the ground.
Murtaza's letter was in response to his counterpart Debashree Mukherjee's letter dated April 24, written two days after the Pahalgam attack.
"Honouring any treaty in good faith is a fundamental part of the treaty. However, we have instead witnessed continued cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir," Mukherjee wrote.
"The resulting security uncertainties have directly impeded India바카라™s full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty. Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India바카라™s request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty. The Government of India has hereby decided that the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect," she further wrote in her letter.
Since then, Operation Sindoor, the counter-offensive launched by India to attack terror camps and air bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan, came to a halt when the two countries agreed to cease all military action by land, air and sea from 5 pm on May 10. But New Delhi remained adamant on continuing with all coercive diplomatic measures, most importantly the suspension of the IWT.
If negotiations on the treaty do begin, India is expected to insist that discussions take place directly between the two countries, without involving any third parties. This means that India is unlikely to accept help from the World Bank or any other outside group to make changes to the agreement.