ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday confirmed that India had issued flood warnings to Islamabad, but underlined that the alerts were shared through diplomatic channels instead of the Indus Waters Commission (IWC) as required under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Officials reiterated that India is bound to fully comply with all provisions of the agreement, cautioning that New Delhi’s unilateral move to suspend its obligations constitutes a serious breach of international law with potential consequences for peace and stability in South Asia.
India had announced in April that it was holding the IWT in abeyance following an attack in Pahalgam, Indian occupied Kashmir, which killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the incident without presenting evidence, while Pakistan described any attempt to restrict its water share as an “act of war”, noting the treaty contains no clause for unilateral suspension.
Under paragraph 8 of Article IV of the IWT, both countries are required to notify each other, as far in advance as possible, of extraordinary discharges from reservoirs or flood flows that could impact the other side. The Foreign Office stated that India’s communication of flood alerts on 24 August through its High Commission in Islamabad, instead of the IWC, was a clear deviation from the treaty’s prescribed mechanism.
India warns Pakistan of possible flood risk under Indus Waters Treaty
The warning came as Punjab remained on high alert due to a fresh monsoon spell. On Saturday, the provincial government evacuated thousands of residents along the Sutlej River after water levels at Ganda Singh Wala rose dangerously, registering a high flood discharge of 129,866 cusecs.
A message from the Indian High Commission notified Pakistani authorities of a high flood in Jammu’s Tawi River, which flows into the Chenab.
Dozens of villages inundated, crops destroyed after Sutlej swells with high flood
An Indian government source, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the warning had been conveyed “on humanitarian grounds” rather than under the treaty framework. The source confirmed the alerts were issued following heavy rains in occupied Kashmir. India’s foreign ministry has yet to comment officially on the matter.