ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: In a significant escalation of tensions with India, Pakistan on Thursday declared that any attempt by India to divert water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would be considered an “act of war.” Following this, Islamabad suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement and severed all diplomatic, trade, and travel ties with India—including closing its airspace to Indian flights.
Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convened an emergency meeting in response to India’s suspension of the IWT after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which India attributed to The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Pakistan firmly rejected the allegations and called India’s actions “unilateral, unjust and politically motivated.” In retaliation, it declared that any disruption to water flows from India would provoke a response “with full force across the complete spectrum of national power.”
The NSC underscored the inviolability of the IWT, a World Bank-brokered pact signed in 1960 that governs six rivers of the Indus Basin. Describing India’s move as illegal, the committee warned, “Any attempt to stop or divert water flows will be treated as an act of war,” highlighting the treaty’s significance for Pakistan’s 240 million citizens, many of whom depend on the rivers for agriculture.
Historically, Pakistan has identified economic strangulation—including naval blockades and water disruption—as potential red lines justifying the use of nuclear force. This escalation adds a serious dimension to the long-standing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. While Indian officials did not formally respond, government sources stated that Pakistan would do better to act against cross-border terrorism before making such threats.
In addition to its water-related warnings, Pakistan mirrored and intensified India’s punitive measures:
- It closed the Wagah border to all Indian transit, allowing valid crossings only until April 30.
- All trade with India, including through third countries, was halted.
- Pakistani airspace was closed to Indian-owned and Indian-operated aircraft.
- Saarc visa exemptions for Indian citizens were revoked, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims. Indian nationals were given 48 hours to exit Pakistan.
- Indian defense advisers were declared persona non grata and instructed to leave by April 30.
- The Indian High Commission staff in Islamabad was capped at 30, mirroring New Delhi’s restriction on Pakistani diplomats.
India had earlier closed the Wagah-Attari border, expelled Pakistani military advisors, and reduced the strength of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to 30.
Experts warn that the suspension of the IWT—despite having withstood three wars—marks the gravest flashpoint in this crisis. The treaty divides river control, giving India the eastern rivers and Pakistan the western ones. Any interruption could have devastating consequences for Pakistan’s agriculture-driven economy.
The simultaneous collapse of the Simla Agreement, a cornerstone of bilateral diplomacy since 1972, and formal communication channels between the two countries has further heightened tensions along the Line of Control (LoC). With mutual airspace closures and a freeze on trade, economic stress has deepened, particularly for cross-border traders dependent on the Wagah corridor.
Regional cooperation under Saarc is also facing new setbacks as visa restrictions isolate citizens further. While some of Pakistan’s rhetoric may be seen as strategic posturing, the existential nature of the water issue underlines the severity of the unfolding crisis.
