India has reportedly alerted Pakistan about a potential flood threat in the Tawi River, marking what could be the first direct communication of its kind through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Normally, such warnings are shared under the Indus Waters Treaty, but the arrangement has been suspended since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
According to reports, Pakistan acted on the information by issuing warnings downstream. The gesture comes at a time of heightened tensions, with bilateral relations strained by recent military and political confrontations.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, divides the Indus system’s rivers between both countries and facilitates the sharing of hydrological data. However, following the Pahalgam attack, India halted cooperation under the treaty, cutting off vital flood warnings that Pakistan relies on during monsoons.
Flooding has already caused massive destruction across Pakistan, killing at least 788 people and injuring over 1,000. The majority of casualties have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, with other provinces also severely hit.
In India, officials in Jammu and Kashmir are closely monitoring water levels in the Indus basin rivers and their tributaries, as forecasts warn of heavy rainfall and possible flash floods through the end of August.