India warns Pak of flood threat in 1st official contact in months

In an unprecedented move since the May military confrontation with Pakistan, India has contacted Islamabad under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to share advance information about possible flooding, a report said quoting official sources.

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They said New Delhi warned Pakistan of a potential major flood in the Tawi River at Jammu.

The Indian High Commission in Islamabad conveyed the alert, with the communication made on the morning of Sunday (Aug.24), they said, adding that it was the first major contact of its kind since the Pakistan-India war in May.

Sources said following the alert, Pakistani authorities issued warnings based on the information provided by India.

The Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said New Delhi conveyed the information through diplomatic channels instead of the Indus Waters Commission, the permanent mechanism created under the 1960 World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty.

An Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the warning was shared on "humanitarian grounds" and not under the treaty.

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Monday confirmed that India had issued flood warnings to Islamabad, but underlined that the alerts were shared through diplomatic channels instead of the Indus Waters Commission (IWC) as required under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).