ISLAMABAD: In a significant escalation of tensions, India on Saturday suddenly released water into the Jhelum River without informing Pakistan, days after unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960. The abrupt discharge caused a sharp rise in water levels near Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), prompting the local administration to declare a water emergency in Hattian Bala.
According to the Muzaffarabad district administration, the sudden surge in the Jhelum River—originating from Anantnag in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and entering Pakistan near Chakothi—created panic among residents living along the riverbanks.
The local administration, through loudspeakers, warned the local population to move to safer areas amid India’s water aggression.
Officials said the water entered Pakistani territory without any prior notification, in violation of international norms and the longstanding Indus Waters Treaty, which mandates prior information-sharing on such hydrological releases.
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, had remained intact despite three wars and multiple crises between India and Pakistan.
“This was unexpected but very much on the cards after India’s recent threats to abrogate the treaty,” a senior local official told reporters on Saturday.
The sudden move is being seen in Pakistan as a part of India’s broader strategy of “water aggression”, following New Delhi’s announcement to suspend the IWT.
The decision came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where at least 26 tourists were killed earlier this week.
India has since escalated tensions by closing the main land border crossing, downgrading diplomatic relations, and withdrawing visas for Pakistani nationals.
In response to these aggressive measures, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) convened an emergency meeting and announced several countermeasures, including expelling Indian diplomats and military advisers.
The NSC also warned that any attempt by India to disrupt Pakistan’s water supplies under the treaty would be considered an “act of war”.
ensions. Pakistan also called on international organisations, including the United Nations, to play a proactive role in preventing the situation from deteriorating further.
