Pakistan begs before Canada, seeks help against India on Indus Waters Treaty

Islamabad: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sought Canada's assistance on Monday to restore the Indus Waters Treaty. He made this request while addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who was on a two-day visit to Pakistan. Dar stated that India has further exacerbated an already unstable security situation by suspending the treaty.

What is the Indus Waters Treaty?

The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) is an agreement between India and Pakistan brokered by the World Bank.
It governs the sharing of water from the six rivers of the Indus basin; under the agreement, the eastern rivers were allocated to India, while the western rivers were primarily allocated to Pakistan. Under this treaty, India received the full water rights to the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers. Meanwhile, Pakistan was allocated 80 percent of the water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.

Why did India suspend the Indus Waters Treaty?

India suspended the treaty in April 2025, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. Twenty-six people were killed in that attack. India stated that the treaty would remain suspended until Pakistan took concrete action against cross-border terrorism. India has categorically stated that blood and water cannot flow together.