All-out war avoided, but river water-sharing spat keeps India-Pakistan tensions on the boil

epa12078241 A view of the river Chenab flowing through Chiniot, Punjab province, Pakistan, 06 May 2025. India has temporarily halted water flow from the Chenab River into Pakistan amid rising tensions following a terrorist attack in Kashmir, prompting Islamabad to warn that any reduction in water would be viewed as an 'act of war'. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which has governed water-sharing since 1960, has escalated the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The UN Security Council has called for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate the situation and prevent military confrontation. EPA-EFE/ISRAR UL HAQ

India temporarily halted the flow of water from the Chenab River into Pakistan amid rising tensions.

PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Nirmala Ganapathy

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NEW DELHI – India and Pakistan may have just

avoided all-out conflict

, but water politics continue to brew as Islamabad prepares to challenge New Delhi’s suspension of a water treaty, which the former considers an “act of war”.

India’s decision to put in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) – which Islamabad framed as a move to halt the flow of the Indus River and two of its tributaries into Pakistan – came about 24 hours after a terrorist attack on April 22 killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, in India-held Kashmir.

All-out war avoided, but river water-sharing spat keeps India-Pakistan tensions on the boil

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