According to sources blockquoted by PTI on Friday, India has warned Pakistan about its "intransigence" over the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and has accused it of doing so. Islamabad received the "notice of modification" on January 25.

The IWT was ratified by India and Pakistan in September 1960 following nine years of discussions. The agreement was signed by the World Bank. The IWT lays out a framework for communication and collaboration between the two nations over the use of water from various rivers.

India has always been a steadfast supporter and a responsible partner in implementing the IWT in letter and spirit, the sources were quoted by the news agency as saying. "However, Pakistan's actions have adversely impinged on the provisions of IWT and their implementation, and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of the pact," said one of the sources.

In order to address its technical objections to India's Kishenganga and Ratle Hydroelectric Projects, Pakistan had requested the appointment of an impartial expert in 2015. Islamabad withdrew the proposal the very following year and asked an arbitration court to hear its arguments.

This unilateral action by Pakistan was in contravention of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by Article IX of the IWT, the sources said. Accordingly, India made a separate request for the matter to be referred to a neutral expert.

"The initiation of two simultaneous processes on the same questions and the potential of their inconsistent or contradictory outcomes creates an unprecedented and legally untenable situation, which risks endangering the IWT itself," the source said. "The World Bank acknowledged this itself in 2016, and took a decision to 'pause' the initiation of two parallel processes and request India and Pakistan to seek an amicable way out," it said.