Indus Waters Treaty

19 September 1960 · Karachi

Pakistan & South Asia

Background

After Partition, the headworks of Pakistan's canals stayed in India, which briefly cut off the water in April 1948. After nine years of World Bank-led talks, the treaty divided the six rivers and set up a Permanent Indus Commission. With international funding (the Indus Basin Project), Pakistan built Mangla and Tarbela dams and link canals. The treaty survived the 1965, 1971 and 1999 conflicts.

Signed by

Pakistan (Ayub Khan) and India (Jawaharlal Nehru), with the World Bank as broker and signatory

Why it matters

Gave the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) mostly to Pakistan. In April 2025 India announced it was holding the treaty 'in abeyance'; Pakistan said any stopping of its water would be an 'act of war'.