Indus Waters Treaty
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has reiterated the United Kingdom’s commitment to maintaining peace between Pakistan and India following the recent flare-up in military hostilities, calling for the continuation of the ceasefire and renewed efforts toward dialogue and trust-building between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
During a two-day diplomatic visit to Islamabad, Lammy emphasized that the UK, in coordination with the United States, is actively working to ensure that the fragile ceasefire reached on May 10 remains in place and evolves into a longer-term understanding between the two countries.
The ceasefire came after an intense bout of cross-border conflict, which saw both nations exchanging missile strikes in the aftermath of a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge Islamabad categorically denied. What followed was a sharp escalation in military tensions, with India launching multiple missile attacks that it claimed targeted “terrorist infrastructures.”
In response, Pakistan’s military initiated “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” a coordinated retaliatory campaign targeting Indian military positions with what officials described as “precise and proportionate” strikes. The confrontation reportedly lasted over 87 hours.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan successfully downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, along with dozens of drones.
Tragically, the conflict resulted in the loss of 53 Pakistani lives, including 13 armed forces personnel and 40 civilians. The swift escalation raised serious concerns globally, prompting urgent diplomatic interventions from Washington, London, and other capitals to bring both sides back from the brink of war.
Speaking to Reuters in Islamabad, Lammy highlighted the importance of establishing “confidence-building measures” and direct dialogue between India and Pakistan. He pointed out that the two nations have barely communicated in recent years, and stressed that sustained engagement is critical to preventing future escalations.
Lammy also addressed rising concerns over India’s decision to suspend its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)—a 1960 water-sharing agreement that governs the use of the Indus river system.
The suspension, announced by Delhi last month, has alarmed Islamabad, which views any interruption to its access to water as a potentially hostile act, particularly given Pakistan’s agricultural dependence on the Indus system. “We would urge all sides to meet their treaty obligations,” Lammy stated, underscoring the UK’s position on the importance of honouring international agreements.
On the issue of counterterrorism, Lammy acknowledged that terrorism remains a major challenge not only for Pakistan but for the broader South Asian region. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan to combat terrorism in all its forms, describing it as “a terrible blight on this country and its people, and of course on the region.”
The UK’s diplomatic stance, aligned with Washington’s, also supports third-party mediation to encourage dialogue, with U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that talks be held in a neutral location, though no specifics have yet been confirmed.
As the situation remains tense and delicate, the UK continues to advocate for peaceful resolution mechanisms, the observance of treaty obligations, and the development of long-term channels of communication between India and Pakistan to prevent future hostilities.
