India-Pakistan water treaty remains suspended despite ceasefire, sources say
The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan remains suspended, despite the countries reaching a ceasefire agreement on Saturday after days of deadly fighting, Reuters reported, citing four government sources.
The 1960 treaty regulates the sharing of water from the Indus river and its tributaries between the South Asian nations. India pulled out of it last month after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” after a fourth day of strikes and counter-strikes against each other’s military installations.
Pakistan’s foreign minister also said both countries had agreed to a ceasefire “with immediate effect”, and India’s foreign ministry said it would start at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT).
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
India’s foreign ministry said that the head of Pakistan’s military operations called his Indian counterpart on Saturday afternoon, and it was agreed that both sides would stop all firing.
The two heads will speak to each other again on May 12, the ministry added.
Since Wednesday, the two countries have exchanged cross-border fire and shelling, and sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace. This escalation followed an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir two weeks ago, which killed 26 people and was blamed on Pakistan, an accusation the latter has denied.
The two countries have been locked in a dispute over Kashmir since they were born after the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part.
They have gone to war three times since, including twice over Kashmir, and clashed several times.
