The possibility of India unilaterally withdrawing from the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan remains unlikely, Business Recorder reported.
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, cannot be canceled by either country on its own, informed sources confirmed, dismissing recent unverified claims about New Delhi’s intentions to do so.
Signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960, the IWT was negotiated with World Bank involvement to allocate the use of water from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.
The agreement was signed by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
Under the terms of the treaty, India was granted rights over the eastern rivers such as Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej, which have an average annual flow of 41 billion cubic meters.
Pakistan received control over the western rivers, such as the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum, with a mean flow of 99 billion cubic meters.
This distribution allocates roughly 30% of the Indus River system’s total water to India and the remaining 70% to Pakistan.
Sources emphasized that despite political tensions, the treaty remains legally binding, and unilateral revocation by either party is not within the treaty’s provisions.
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