• Spokesperson says New Delhi relayed warning via ‘diplomatic channels’
• Pakistan notified of high flood in held Jammu’s Tawi River that flows into Chenab

ISLAMABAD: After India shared a flood warning with Pakistan via diplomatic channels instead of under the Indus Waters Treaty, Islamabad took exception to the move and asked New Delhi to comply with the treaty.

The development was shared by the Foreign Office in a statement on Monday. FO Spokesperson Shahfqat Ali Khan said: “On August 24, 2025, India communicated flood warnings through diplomatic channels, rather than through the IWC as required under the IWT.”

Under paragraph 8 of Article IV of the IWT, “each party agrees to communicate to the other party, as far in advance as practicable, any information it may have in regard to such extraordinary discharges of water from reservoirs and flood flows as may affect the other party”.

“We reaffirm that India is obligated to fully comply with all provisions of the treaty. India’s unilateral declaration to hold the treaty in abeyance constitutes a serious violation of international law and could have significant negative consequences for peace and stability in South Asia,” Dawn.com reported.

It reported that a communiqué on Sunday from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad notified the government of a high flood in Jammu’s Tawi River that flows into the Chenab River. At present, Chenab is at risk of high to very high flooding amid torrential rainfall across Punjab.

Under paragraph 8 of Article IV of the IWT, “each party agrees to communicate to the other party, as far in advance as practicable, any information it may have in regard to such extraordinary discharges of water from reservoirs and flood flows as may affect the other party”.

An Indian government source told Reuters on Monday that New Delhi had shared the warning on possible cross-border flooding on “humanitarian grounds” and not under the IWT. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad shared the warning following heavy rains in occupied Kashmir, the source said.

India in April held the IWT in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension.

In June, Pakistan welcomed the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to issue a “Supplemental Award of Competence” in the Indus Waters case, stating that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. According to the statement by the PCA, the court found that it was not open to India to unilaterally suspend the IWT or hold it in abeyance.

“The Court first considered the terms of the Treaty (IWT), which do not provide for the unilateral ‘abeyance’ or ‘suspension’ of the treaty; rather, according to its terms, the treaty continues in force until terminated with the mutual consent of India and Pakistan,” the press release read.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025