Pak: India can't cancel Indus Water Treaty - Fusion - WeRIndia

After the Uri attack which killed 18 soldiers in Kashmir, India has given strong warnings to Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a stern message which could be affecting the future of Pakistan in the long term. Modi’s statement of how blood and water cannot flow together indicating that India could cut the Indus water treaty.

Responding to that statement by Modi, Pakistan said that India cannot opt out of the water sharing agreement unilaterally.

India already hinted that there would be retaliation to the terror attack on the army headquarters in Uri. This could suggest that India might in fact withdraw from the treaty. Sartaz Aziz, the Adviser on Foreign Affairs to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said to Pakistani Media that India cannot withdraw from the treat unilaterally according to international law.

Prime Minister Modi also gave indications that there could be other ways India could corner Pakistan and that strong military action is unlikely. Modi also reviewed the Indus Waters Treaty which allocates waters from three rivers – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – between the countries. The decision that India will use more of the river’s resource was taken.

The Indus water treaty is a 60 year old treaty. According to officials, withdrawal from the treaty is also being considered by India.

India will also be reviewing the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status given to Pakistan at a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Supreme Court also refused to grant an urgent hearing on a PIL which asked the declaration of the India-Pakistan Indus Water Treaty as unconstitutional. According to a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar this matter will come up in hearing soon and it won’t be taken as urgent.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in Karachi.

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