Letter to the Readers, Mainstream, Sept 21, 2024

Letter to the Readers, Mainstream, Sept 21, 2024

Over the past decade, the troubled relations between India and Pakistan have been at an impasse. Bilateral ties have remained frozen particularly since 2019 in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir and the retaliatory Balakot airstrikes. At that time when tensions ran high, a minister of the ruling Modi government threateningly called for water supplies from the Indian side to be blocked. Back-door secret talks between the two sides may have taken place since but at the official level, there seems to be no detente. Long-standing agreements now are being called into question due to domestic political reasons. Since January 2023 Indian government has written to Pakistan multiple times seeking revision of the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan has responded by internationalising the matter and has approached the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague [1] in response to India’s unilateral call to redraw the treaty. The treaty framework was not designed with an exit provision by any of the signatories and requires consensus. In the past days India has put Pakistan on notice freezing bilateral meetings of Permanent Indus Commissioners under the Indus Water Treaty [2] The Indus Water Treaty was a very successful cross border agreement between India and Pakistan, which was signed in 1960 over sharing of waters of six Himalayan rivers in the Indus basin [3]. Despite previous wars and tensions over the decades the officials from the two countries used to meet regularly to share technical data as per the Indus Water Treaty. It is tragic that this treaty mechanism that has worked for decades is now facing a deadlock. At a time of growing climate-induced impact on rivers, mountain glaciers and rain systems in the two countries —that have seen a growing environmental crisis, unprecedented flooding, massive heat waves and a projected shortfall of water resources there is a need to cool down and sit together for talks and long term cooperation. As neighbouring states with shared borders and a co-dependent eco-system, the two countries must act responsibly and show a willingness to compromise they simply don’t have a choice.

September 21, 2024 —HK