On April 23, 2025, India took an unprecedented step, announcing that the Indus Waters Treaty, a landmark water-sharing agreement with Pakistan, is now in abeyance.
The move came just days after the terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead and reignited tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbours.
For over six decades, the Indus Waters Treaty withstood the pressures of conflict—surviving the wars of 1965, 1971, and the 1999 Kargil War, as well as decades of political strain.
Now, for the first time, India signals a formal departure.
But what does this suspension really mean? Can a country simply pause a binding international treaty? And at what cost?
In this Deep Dive, we explore the history, legal frameworks, and implications of the abeyance on Indo-Pakistan relations.
