Claim: India is ready to restore the Indus Waters Treaty in exchange for Pakistan reopening its airspace to Indian airlines.
Fact: India has made no such overtures and has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan ceases cross-border terrorism.
On 25 June 2026, a user on X posted an image (archive) of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seen below:
Further in the comments, the post noted, “Earlier today, Indian media confirmed that Track 2 dialogues between India and Pakistan are going on in Sri Lanka.”
Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty
Following the 26 April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which militants killed more than 20 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Government of India announced on 23 April 2025 that it would hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in abeyance, citing national security concerns and what it described as Pakistan’s support of cross-border terrorism. The decision marked the first time either country had suspended the World Bank-negotiated water-sharing arrangement in its 65-year history.
Although a ceasefire was reached on 10 May 2025 following the broader military escalation between the two countries, India has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah vowed that India would “never” restore the treaty, stating that Pakistan would be “starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably.”
Fact or Fiction?
We investigated the claim as the posts did not cite any specific publication or source. A keyword search conducted by Soch Fact Check did not yield any credible international report or publication stating that India was ready to restore the Indus Water Treaty on a conditional basis.
In fact, recent reports and statements from Indian officials relay the message of a hardening line. On 5 June 2026, during a weekly media briefing at the Indian Foreign Ministry, the official spokesperson said that the treaty would stay suspended until Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism, stating, “ Regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, as you know, we have suspended it and placed it in abeyance. It will remain so until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism.”
Days later, on 9 June 2026, Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil said New Delhi was working to ensure the flow of Indus water to Pakistan would stop entirely, asserting, “It still stands; rather, the treaty has been kept in abeyance. And since Prime Minister Modi took this decision, every effort is being made to ensure not a single drop flows there. Under the Prime Minister’s directives, Home Minister Amit Shah is also personally monitoring the matter, and we are actively working on it. I believe the work is proceeding in a time-bound manner, and the flow of Indus water to Pakistan will stop, as I can say. It is certain—not a single drop of water will go in the coming years; I can tell you that much.”
Further, the additional claim made in the comments that “earlier today, Indian media confirmed that Track 2 dialogues between India and Pakistan are going on in Sri Lanka.” Part of this claim is true; Indian media did report on this talk, with India Today and the Hindustan Times reporting news that such informal talks were being held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, per a 29 June 2026 report, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri categorically denied the existence of such talks, stating, “Secondly, as far as we are concerned, these are private events organised by private parties. There is nothing official about them, as far as we are concerned. I can not speak for the government of Pakistan, but as far as the government of India is concerned, there is no official participation, no official support or involvement in these visits.”
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the claim on Facebook here and here.
The claim was also found on X here.
Conclusion: The claim that India has offered to restore the Indus Waters Treaty in exchange for Pakistan reopening its airspace to Indian airlines is false. Indian officials have repeatedly reaffirmed in June 2026 that the treaty remains suspended until Pakistan ends cross-border terrorism, with no conditions related to airspace access.
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