Pakistan to serve diplomatic notice to India over IWT suspension

Pakistan to serve diplomatic notice to India over IWT suspension after consultations with the relevant ministries.

Pakistan has decided to deliver a formal diplomatic protest to India after New Delhi unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, according to official sources on Friday.

The move follows preliminary consultations between Pakistan’s foreign affairs, law, and water resources ministries.

Pakistan plans to formally notify India through diplomatic channels in response to the treaty suspension.

Sources reveal that emergency legal and constitutional discussions have already taken place, and the initial preparations for the diplomatic action have been completed.

Officials stated that coordination among the three ministries—Foreign Affairs, Water Resources, and Law—has finalized the approach, and the formal notice is expected to be dispatched to India within days.

According to members of the Indus Commission, the diplomatic note will demand a clear justification from India for halting the 1960 treaty, which outlines water-sharing protocols. Pakistan is also considering lodging formal complaints at international forums to raise awareness of what it terms “Indian water aggression.”

Pakistan maintains that the treaty holds strong legal value and anticipates that international pressure might compel India to reconsider its suspension. All actions, however, will be contingent on approval by the federal cabinet.

Tensions have heightened between the two nations after a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 dead and several injured.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing evidence and followed up by suspending the water treaty and implementing other retaliatory steps, such as closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing.

Pakistan denounced the attack and offered full cooperation in a neutral investigation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Islamabad’s willingness to participate if India agreed to an impartial probe. Pakistan has also hinted at suspending the 1972 Simla Agreement in response.

Amid increasing threats from Indian political leaders of military action, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has issued a stern warning, stating that any hostile move will be answered with a strong and unforgettable reaction.