---
title: "Indus River System: Tributaries & Treaty | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Indus River System is a crucial transboundary network for India and Pakistan, impacting water allocation and regional diplomacy under the 1960 treaty."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/indus-river-system"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Indus River System is the transboundary drainage network of the Indus and its five major Punjab tributaries, draining Tibet, India, and Pakistan into the Arabian Sea.
- Which five rivers form the Punjab system within the Indus basin?
- How does the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty divide the system between India and Pakistan?
- Why is the Indus considered an antecedent river?
- What does it mean that India placed the Indus Waters Treaty 'in abeyance' in 2025?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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