By the Indian side on January 25 through the Commissioners for Indus Waters of the two sides the “notice for modification” of the treaty was conveyed.
India has informed Pakistan of its intention to amend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which sets out a mechanism for management of cross-border rivers, because of the Pakistani side’s “intransigence” in implementing the pact, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The people said the “notice for modification” of the treaty was conveyed by the Indian side on January 25 through the Commissioners for Indus Waters of the two sides. India was forced to issue the notice as Pakistan’s actions had “adversely impinged” on the provisions of the treaty and their implementation.
It is the most durable treaty between the two countries but has come under considerable pressure in recent years as bilateral relations plunged to an all-time low due to tensions related to terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in September 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan and was brokered by the World Bank, which too is a signatory.
“India has always been a steadfast supporter and a responsible partner in implementing the Indus Waters Treaty in letter and spirit. Pakistan’s intransigence on the treaty forced India to issue a notice of modification,” one of the people said.
The notice will open up the process for making changes to the treaty for the first time since it was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960, by then Pakistan president Mohammad Ayub Khan, then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and WAB Illif of the World Bank.
“The objective of the notice for modification is to provide Pakistan an opportunity to enter into inter-governmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the Indus Waters Treaty. This process will also update the treaty to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years,” the person cited above said.