Shehbaz warns India over IWT ahead of Independence Day
What's the story
Ahead of India's 80th Independence Day, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a stern warning to India over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). He said "every single drop" of Pakistan's water is a "red line" and warned that any attempt to affect Islamabad's water rights would be met with a direct response. Sharif accused India of being an "enemy of peace" for unilaterally suspending the treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.
Treaty details
Treaty brokered by World Bank in 1960
The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs water distribution between India and Pakistan.
It allocates 20% of the Indus River System's water to India and 80% to Pakistan.
The western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) are allocated to Pakistan, while India gets access to eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).
Despite its suspension by New Delhi after a terror attack blamed on Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in April 2025, Pakistan maintains that the treaty is still legally binding.
Diplomatic tensions
Sharif thanks Trump for role in India-Pakistan ceasefire
Sharif also praised US President Donald Trump for his role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May 2025. He thanked Trump for his "leadership and proactive role" in facilitating the outcome.
However, India has maintained that the ceasefire was reached through direct discussions between New Delhi and Islamabad without third-party mediation.
The IWT remains a major point of contention between the two countries amid ongoing tensions over Kashmir.
Background
Pahalgam terror attack and 'Operation Sindoor'
The terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, was traced to The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Following the attack, India suspended the IWT. In the following days, it also launched "Operation Sindoor," a coordinated, intelligence-driven military precision strike launched by the Indian Armed Forces, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir.