United Nations: Pakistan has denounced India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), saying that such acts set a precedent for “resource-based coercion”.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative, addressing the UN Security Council (UNSC) sounded alarm over the “deliberate weaponisation of shared natural resources”, citing the suspension of the IWT as an example.
In his remarks, he warned that the move should be of grave concern for every member of this council and for the international community as a whole.
He said, “For more than six decades, this treaty has stood as a model of cooperation, ensuring equitable and predictable sharing of the Indus basin’s waters between Pakistan and India even in times of war.”
“India’s unlawful unilateral decision to suspend this framework undermines the letter and spirit of this treaty, threatens ecosystems, disrupts data sharing and endangers the lives of millions who depend on the Indus water system for food and energy security for their very survival,” he added.
The ambassador emphasised that such acts do not just harm one country … they weaken confidence in international water law and set a precedent for resource-based and driven coercion elsewhere.
The envoy asserted that Pakistan has consistently maintained that no provision of the IWT permits unilateral suspension or modification.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position on the matter, he called for “full respect for the treaty and an early return to compliance and normal functioning through the established channels.”
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar also highlighted the structural nexus between environment and security and advocated a paradigm shift toward preventive and sustainable peace-building.
He urged concerted international measures to integrate environmental considerations into conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and post-conflict recovery.
He called upon the UNSC to fulfill its charter responsibility to address threats to international peace and security at their very inception. He further cautioned that “environmental degradation in conflict is not just collateral damage but also a catalyst for instability.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to advance collective action for ecological restoration, strengthen compliance with international law, and transform shared natural resources into instruments of cooperation rather than vectors of division.
Under the 1960 IWT, three rivers that flow westwards were awarded to Pakistan, with India getting three eastern-flowing rivers. In 2023, Pakistan brought a case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague over the design of Indian hydropower projects on rivers that were awarded to Pakistan under the treaty.
In April, India held the IWT in abeyance following the Pahalgam incident in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.