World Bank not informed of India’s decision on Indus Waters Treaty

The World Bank not informed of India's decision to keep Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance amid security concerns.

The World Bank (WB) has said that it hasn’t been informed of India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance,” sources confirmed to The Hindu. Throughout the history of the treaty, the WB has played a key role as a mediator in cases of disputes arising between India and Pakistan on water sharing agreements, as laid out in the IWT.

On Thursday (April 24, 2025), Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, wrote to her Pakistan counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, that India was keeping the treaty in abeyance with “immediate effect.”

“The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However what we have seen instead is sustained cross border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” her letter says.

The “security uncertainties” have directly impeded India’s “full utilisation rights” and Pakistan’s action of not responding to previous requests by India to renegotiate the treaty was a “breach of trust” on its part.

A Government source told The Hindu that, as Pakistan had been informed about India’s position on the treaty, therefore there was “no need” to inform the WB.

A spokesperson for the WB said that “it did not opine” on “treaty-related sovereign decisions taken by its member countries.”

Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) that it would hold the IWT, in place since 1960, “in abeyance.” On the surface, this implies that India will stop its periodic communication with Pakistan on sharing hydrological data on the Indus rivers or keep them apprised of infrastructural work on hydro-electric projects in the Chenab, Jhelum and the Indus main, also known as the Western rivers.