India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty, Pledges to Stop Water Flow to Pakistan

Indian Water Minister CR Patil stated on June 9, 2026 that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directives — and with Home Minister Amit Shah personally monitoring the matter — India is working in a 'time-bound manner' to prevent any Indus basin water from crossing into Pakistan. India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in May 2025, following the Pahalgam attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan — a charge Islamabad denied. The two countries subsequently fought a four-day conflict involving drone, missile, and artillery exchanges that killed nearly 70 people on both sides. India has also rejected the authority of the Court of Arbitration constituted under the treaty, calling its proceedings 'null and void,' particularly regarding disputes over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects. Pakistan has warned that any attempt to alter cross-border water flows would constitute an 'act of war' and has urged the UN Security Council to intervene, citing grave humanitarian and security consequences. However, independent experts note that India's existing dams can only regulate the timing of water releases rather than fully block or divert flows, and that any new infrastructure capable of significant diversion could not begin before mid-2027 and would take at least five additional years to complete. Pakistan is already experiencing severe water shortages, with Karachi reportedly facing supply disruptions affecting roughly 70 percent of the city.