Pakistan Urges India to Restore Indus Waters Treaty on World Water Day
Pakistan calls on India to restore the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that suspension threatens food security, agriculture and millions of livelihoods.
On the occasion of World Water Day, Pakistan renewed its demand for India to immediately restore the full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that the suspension of the agreement threatens food security, agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of people.
President Asif Ali Zardari said India’s decision to place the treaty “in abeyance” undermines a long-standing international agreement that has governed the fair sharing of water resources between the two countries for more than six decades. (Dawn)
India Suspended the Treaty After Kashmir Attack
India announced in April 2025 that it was suspending participation in the treaty following a deadly gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed more than 26 tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the assault, while Islamabad denied involvement.
The suspension came amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and was followed by a four-day military conflict in May 2025 involving missiles, drones, artillery and fighter jets before a ceasefire was brokered. (Arab News PK)
President Zardari Warns Against “Weaponisation” of Water
In his World Water Day message, President Asif Ali Zardari strongly criticized what he described as the “weaponisation” of shared water resources.
He said India’s actions, including the suspension of hydrological data sharing and the disruption of agreed mechanisms, violated both the spirit and letter of the treaty.
According to the president, such measures threaten Pakistan’s food and economic security, jeopardize the livelihoods of millions of farmers and create a dangerous precedent for the management of transboundary water resources under international law. (Dawn)
Why the Indus Waters Treaty Matters
The Indus Waters Treaty was brokered by the World Bank in 1960.
The agreement gives Pakistan rights over the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking water and hydropower generation. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — but is not allowed to significantly alter the flow of rivers allocated to Pakistan.
The treaty is especially important because nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s agriculture depends on water from the Indus river system. Any major disruption can directly affect irrigation, food production and rural livelihoods across provinces such as Sindh and Punjab. (Arab News PK)
Pakistan Raises the Issue Internationally
Pakistan has continued to raise the treaty issue at international forums. Last month, Islamabad took up India’s suspension of the treaty with the president of the United Nations General Assembly and urged action over the move.
Pakistan argues that the treaty does not allow unilateral suspension by either side and maintains that any attempt to block river flows would violate international law. (Arab News PK)
Water Security Remains a National Priority
President Asif Ali Zardari also used World Water Day to highlight Pakistan’s worsening water crisis, driven by climate change, population growth and rising demand.
He stressed that access to safe water and sanitation is a constitutional right and urged citizens to use water carefully, invest in conservation practices and support better management of water resources nationwide. (Kashmir Media Service)
On World Water Day, Pakistan President Zardari calls on India to Restore Indus Waters Treaty
