Underwater storm

• On November 30, 1960, Congress MP Iqbal Singh initiated a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

• Ayub Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, emphasized that the Indo-Pakistan relationship would not stabilize until the Kashmir issue is resolved.

• After the 1965 Indo-Pak war, Ayub Khan criticized India for the construction of the Mangla dam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India protested as a breach of sovereignty.

• In 2023, India requested a bilateral modification of the IWT, which Pakistan declined.

• During the debate, Congress MPs from Punjab and Rajasthan criticized the treaty, arguing it would adversely affect Rajasthan and food production in Indian Punjab.

• The ruling party, overseeing a 12-year river water dispute, was upset about the fact that Pakistan would receive ₹83 crore in foreign exchange as part of the treaty execution.

• Nehru defended the treaty, stating it was a result of “long and bitter negotiation” between the two sides mediated by the World Bank.

• The IWT did not have an exit clause and provided for modification of treaty provisions through a “duly ratified treaty”.

• The treaty stipulated India’s exclusive rights over the eastern rivers and Pakistan’s rights over the western rivers.

India-Pakistan Relations: A Historical Perspective

• India became a parliamentary democracy in 1951-52, while Pakistan faced power rivalries and language issues.

• Gen. Isqander Mirza became the President of Pakistan in the late 1950s, leading to power rivalries.

• The Indus Waters Agreement was concluded under World Bank mediation, aimed at resolving issues that Pakistan had failed to solve.

• The signing ceremony was marked by a show of internal normalcy and agreement on eradicating poverty.

• Gen. Ayub Khan’s provocative speech in Muzaffarabad emphasized that the Indo-Pakistan relationship would not stabilize until the Kashmir issue was resolved.

• The construction of the Mangla dam, the world’s largest earthen dam, trampled on India’s sovereignty in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

• The 20th century saw China’s mega dams in the Himalayas and a surge in cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, leading to talks of a review of the treaty.

• India completed the Kishanganga dam in Kashmir and pushed ahead with the Ratle hydel power project on the Chenab, despite Pakistan’s displeasure.

• In 2023, India invoked the treaty provisions to request a bilateral modification, which Pakistan declined.

• The Indian declaration on holding the treaty ‘in abeyance’ has led to a broken India-Pakistan relationship, similar to the late 1940s.