Pakistan Links Ceasefire Sustainability to Indus Waters Treaty Resolution
Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has introduced a significant condition for the recently agreed ceasefire with India, stating that its continuation could be jeopardized if the dispute surrounding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is not resolved. In an interview with CNN on Monday, May 12th, Dar suggested that a failure to address the "water issue" could be identical to an "act of war," signaling a new point of contention following days of intense military escalation.
Islamabad Conditions Ceasefire on Indus Waters Treaty Resolution
Minister Dar's remarks come after India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty following the April 22nd terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians. India has maintained that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible action against cross-border terrorism. Dar's assertion that the ceasefire's stability hinges on resolving this water dispute introduces a fresh complexity to de-escalation efforts that began after India's "Operation Sindoor" and subsequent military exchanges.
New Delhi Reiterates Unchanged Position on IWT
The Pakistani Foreign Minister's stance contrasts sharply with recent statements from New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, May 12th, reiterated India's position that "blood and water cannot flow together," implying no change in the suspension of the IWT despite the halt in active military operations. PM Modi also characterised India's recent actions as a "paused responsive attack" and stated that "Operation Sindoor" established a "new normal" in combating terrorism, asserting that India's firm response compelled Pakistan to seek a ceasefire. During his interview, Dar also reportedly denied direct talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries and refuted suggestions that Pakistan had considered deploying nuclear weapons.
The World Bank, which facilitated the original IWT, recently clarified its role as being limited to that of a facilitator and stated it would not intervene to resolve the current dispute. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's linkage of the ceasefire's durability to the Indus Waters Treaty issue leads to a new and challenging dimension to the fragile peace. With India holding a firm line on the IWT suspension being tied to counter-terrorism actions by Pakistan, the path to sustained de-escalation appears complex, despite the recent agreement to halt military engagements.
Picture / Graphi Source: Oneindia
