Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Thursday that Pakistan will no longer receive water from rivers over which India holds rightful control. This statement comes a month after a deadly assault in Indian-administered Kashmir prompted New Delhi to halt a vital river water-sharing agreement with its neighbor. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty marked one of several retaliatory steps India imposed on Pakistan following the April 22 attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, mostly Hindu tourists.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the allocation of river waters that originate in India but flow into Pakistan, supporting approximately 80% of Pakistani agriculture. Despite the treaty’s suspension, Pakistan’s finance minister has downplayed its immediate impact, signaling that the move might not disrupt water access right away.

Modi’s remarks came during a public gathering in Rajasthan, a state that shares a border with Pakistan. He warned that Pakistan would bear severe consequences for terrorist attacks, emphasizing that the country’s military and economic systems would suffer in retaliation. “Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack,” Modi stated firmly.

The backdrop to these developments is the escalating tension following the April 22 assault, which New Delhi attributes to Pakistan-backed militants—a charge Islamabad denies. The two nuclear-armed nations engaged in their most intense military exchanges in decades before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10. Since then, the ceasefire has mostly held, though Indian officials have emphasized continued readiness to respond forcefully to any further acts of aggression.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar underscored the country’s commitment to targeting terrorists wherever they are located, including inside Pakistan. He explained that while the ceasefire remains intact, Indian forces have adjusted their deployments in response to the evolving situation. “If terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are,” Jaishankar told Dutch media.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught since their partition in 1947, punctuated by three wars—two of which centered on the contested Kashmir region. Both nations claim the territory in full, though each controls only part of it. New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing Islamist militants in Kashmir, a claim Islamabad rejects. Since the recent attack, both countries have enacted harsh retaliatory measures, including cutting trade ties, closing land borders, and suspending most visa agreements, reflecting the deepening diplomatic rift.