The Treaty signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan under
the mediation of the World Bank, governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus
River and its tributaries. The treaty allocates the three eastern rivers (Ravi,
Beas, and Sutlej) to India, and the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and
Chenab) to Pakistan, with limited rights for India to use the western rivers
for non-consumptive purposes such as hydroelectric power generation.
The treaty has survived multiple conflicts and is considered
one of the most successful examples of water-sharing agreements in the world.
If India were to unilaterally withdraw from the treaty, it
would likely violate international law, as such agreements are generally
considered binding and cannot be terminated unilaterally without consequences.
For Pakistan, any disruption to the flow of the western
rivers could have severe implications for agriculture, which is the backbone of
its economy, as well as for water availability in key regions.
