ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office confirmed on Monday that India had issued flood warnings to Pakistan but highlighted that the alerts were communicated through diplomatic channels rather than the Indus Waters Commission, as required under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
The warnings follow heavy rains in occupied Kashmir, with India notifying Pakistan of a high flood in Jammu’s Tawi River, which flows into the Chenab. Punjab has already placed thousands of residents on high alert and carried out evacuations along the Sutlej River, where water levels surged to dangerous highs at Ganda Singh Wala.
FO spokesperson Shahfqat Ali Khan stressed that India’s decision to suspend the IWT earlier this year was a breach of international law, calling it a unilateral move with grave implications for regional peace and stability. He reiterated that under Article IV of the treaty, both countries are obliged to exchange advance information on extraordinary water discharges and flood flows.
An Indian government source told Reuters that the warnings were shared on “humanitarian grounds” rather than under treaty obligations. The source, speaking anonymously, added that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had passed on the alert after intense rainfall in the region.
Islamabad maintains that India’s attempt to bypass the IWT undermines a decades-old agreement that has withstood wars and hostilities, warning that continued violations could escalate tensions between the two neighbours.
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