Pakistan seeks Anita Anand’s support for Indus Waters Treaty — gets a rebuff from Canada

Pakistan’s attempt to secure Canada’s backing for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) appeared to receive little support on Monday, after Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand made no public response to Islamabad’s appeal during a joint press briefing in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar used the occasion to urge Canada to support Islamabad’s demand for the immediate restoration of the landmark water-sharing agreement with India.

However, Anand did not address the issue during the media interaction, and the official press release issued by the Canadian government after the meeting also made no mention of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The absence of any public endorsement from Canada came as a setback for Pakistan, which has been seeking international support after India suspended the treaty in the aftermath of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

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Pakistan appeals for Canada's support

Speaking alongside Anand, who is on a two-day official visit to Pakistan, Dar criticised India's decision to place the treaty in abeyance, saying it had further heightened tensions in an already sensitive region.

"India has added a new dynamic into an already volatile security situation by announcing in April 2025 to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance," Dar said.

Appealing directly to Ottawa, he said Pakistan was looking for support from friendly nations for the restoration of the agreement.

"We seek the support of our friendly countries, including Canada, towards India’s immediate restoration of the IWT, ending the weaponisation of water and upholding international law and treaty obligations as per international law and practices," Dar said.

Despite the appeal, Anand did not respond publicly to the request during the briefing. The Canadian government's official statement following the visit focused on bilateral ties and other areas of cooperation, but did not refer to the Indus Waters Treaty or Pakistan's request.

Why India suspended the treaty

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 with the World Bank acting as a broker. It governs the sharing of water from the six rivers of the Indus basin, giving India rights over the three eastern rivers while Pakistan receives the waters of the three western rivers, subject to certain uses permitted to India.

India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. New Delhi said the agreement would remain suspended until Pakistan takes "credible" action against cross-border terrorism.

India says treaty must be renegotiated

The Indian government has since maintained that the treaty can no longer continue in its existing form.

Indian officials have argued that, apart from concerns over Pakistan's continued support for terrorism, the agreement no longer reflects present-day realities. They have said major changes in climate conditions, population growth and water requirements since the 1950s make a fresh framework necessary.

"It would be accurate to say that the IWT in its present form will not function at all. If provisions related to river water sharing have to be reactivated, they will have to be done in a different form, not in the present form," an Indian government official had said.

Before suspending the treaty, India had formally approached Pakistan at least four times during 2023 and 2024 seeking to renegotiate its provisions.