India warns Pakistan of flood via diplomatic channel as IWT suspended

India conveyed a flood warning for the Tawi River to Pakistan through diplomatic channels on August 24, the latest signal of cross-border coordination amid strained ties and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Officials described the alert as a humanitarian measure intended to help downstream populations in a region already facing heavy monsoon-related risk. The communications came as Pakistan’s disaster management authorities warned of continuing heavy rainfall and possible flash floods through the end of August, with casualties and damages mounting in several provinces.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered in 1960 with World Bank backing, divides the Indus River system between the two countries and includes a formal mechanism for sharing hydrological data through the Indus Water Commissioner. After the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April, India announced punitive steps that put the treaty in abeyance and halted routine data sharing on water levels from the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers. While Pakistan has argued that the treaty does not permit unilateral suspension, New Delhi and Islamabad have continued to operate in a framework in which some channels of contact remain...