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Islamabad, Jan 21 (ABC): Pakistan has warned the international community that India’s unilateral move to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance has created a serious risk to Pakistan’s water security, food production, and regional stability.
The warning was issued by Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, during the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable. The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada and the United Nations University.
Ambassador Jadoon said India’s decision, taken in April last year, was followed by material violations of the treaty. These included unannounced disruptions in downstream water flows and the withholding of essential hydrological data needed for effective water management.
He described the move as a deliberate weaponisation of water and stressed that Pakistan’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty is clear and consistent. He said Pakistan’s position is unequivocal and that the treaty remains legally intact, allowing no unilateral suspension or modification.
The ambassador noted that for more than six decades, the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty has served as a reliable and tested framework for the fair and predictable management of the Indus River basin. He highlighted that the basin sustains one of the world’s largest contiguous irrigation systems, meets more than 80 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural water requirements, and supports the lives and livelihoods of over 240 million people.
Ambassador Jadoon said water insecurity has emerged as a systemic global risk, affecting food production, energy systems, public health, economic livelihoods, and overall human security across regions.
Referring to Pakistan’s situation, he said the country is a semi-arid, climate-vulnerable, lower-riparian state facing floods, prolonged droughts, accelerated glacier melt, groundwater depletion, and rapid population growth. He said these pressures are placing severe strain on already stressed water systems.
He added that Pakistan is taking concrete steps to strengthen water resilience through integrated planning, flood protection, irrigation rehabilitation, groundwater replenishment, and ecosystem restoration. He cited national initiatives such as Living Indus and Recharge Pakistan as part of these efforts.
Ambassador Jadoon stressed that systemic water risks cannot be managed by any country alone, particularly in shared river basins. He said predictability, transparency, and cooperation in transboundary water governance are essential for the survival of downstream populations.
Concluding his remarks, he urged that water insecurity be recognised as a global systemic risk ahead of the UN Water Conference 2026. He called for cooperation, respect for international water law, and adherence to treaty obligations to be placed at the centre of shared water governance to protect vulnerable downstream communities.