NEARLY eight decades after Partition, relations between Pakistan and India remain moribund, with little chance of improvement. Among the main drivers of distrust, lately, is India’s unilateral ‘holding in abeyance’ of the Indus Waters Treaty, thereby threatening Pakistan’s rights over shared rivers.

New Delhi took this rash step in April after the Pahalgam attack. However, the Indian move is not standing up to international legal scrutiny. For example, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague recently stated in an award that India must “let flow” the waters of western rivers for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use”. The award in question is related to arbitration Pakistan initiated in 2016. An earlier award by the court in June had similarly held that India could not unilaterally hold the IWT in abeyance. Displaying rigidity, India had earlier said that it does not recognise the court. Pakistan has welcomed the latest award.

However, India’s attempts to isolate Pakistan are not limited to creating obstructions on Indus waters. Attempts are also afoot to depict Pakistan as an irresponsible nation where the nuclear issue is concerned. With reference to a speech Pakistan’s army chief reportedly made in the US recently, Indian media outlets have made some sensationalist claims.

The Indian external affairs ministry, using unverified reports as a peg, has accused Pakistan of “nuclear sabre-rattling”, while alleging that extremists could ‘compromise’ Islamabad’s nuclear decision-making. The Foreign Office says the field marshal’s comments have been “distorted”. These talking points are not new, but the Indian media — and, specifically, the Indian government — should avoid making controversial accusations, especially with regard to the nuclear issue. Both sides, particularly New Delhi, must handle this sensitive area with care.

Historically, ties have never been perfect. In the past, the Pakistani state has made mistakes and rebuffed India’s peace gestures. The Kargil misadventure is a case in point. But with the Modi regime’s anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan rhetoric, ties have entered very dangerous territory.

It may well be true that following the Pakistan-India armed skirmish in May, and the subsequent warming of relations between Islamabad and Washington, New Delhi has been ‘rattled’. Its attempts to isolate Pakistan globally have failed, hence perhaps the desperate moves to question the safety of this country’s nuclear arsenal.

Instead of indulging in combative rhetoric, both sides must bring down temperatures in South Asia. India should particularly act with restraint, as sensationalist allegations can lead to further deterioration in ties, and may even trigger renewed conflict. While peacemaking is a distant dream at the moment, both sides can at least ensure that matters do not worsen. Meanwhile, India should listen to what neutral experts are saying about Pakistan’s rights over Indus waters, and refrain from making any moves that could vitiate matters.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2025