According to the terms of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), India is in charge of the waters of the eastern rivers Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej, while Pakistan is in charge of the waters of the western rivers Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum, which together account for 20 and 80 percent of the total amount of water carried by the Indus System, respectively.
India should have been able to use the most water from the Indus River & Basin System given its location and the population differential between it and Pakistan. India abided by the IWT’s rules and avoided taking any actions that might be considered violations.
Source: WION
Nevertheless, Pakistan repeatedly filed complaints with the World Bank, which the treaty designates as the official arbitrator. Pakistan was probably concerned about two things. One was that, in the case of hostilities, India may use the Indus River System against Pakistan. The influence and credibility of India in comparison to Pakistan, which is, to put it mildly, in the negative, is another problem for Pakistan.
In any of the conflicts that Islamabad forced upon India, India never attempted to utilise water as a weapon. Islamabad has a point in regards to India’s credibility and ability to handle problems on a global scale. Nobody stopped Pakistan from acting responsibly and gaining the confidence of the international community as opposed to becoming a failing state populated by mercenary terrorist organisations and a haven for non-state actors.
Nine tributaries of the Indus River that flow through Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Tibet (now under Chinese occupation) make up the Indus basin. While the 1960 treaty only takes into account India and Pakistan, it is impossible to ignore China’s actions in relation to the Indus Basin. The last Indus water talks took place in Delhi between India’s Indus water commissioner AK Pal and Pakistani counterpart Mehr Ali Shah. The next meeting of the Indus water commission will take place in Pakistan.
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