Water Must Not Be Weaponised: 5 Urgent Warnings Pakistan Gave at UN on Indus Waters Treaty

Water Must Not Be Weaponised — this was Pakistan’s urgent message at the United Nations, where its representatives strongly cautioned India against attempts to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

Officials warned that any unilateral abrogation or suspension poses a grave threat not just to Pakistan’s water security, but also to South Asian peace and the credibility of global agreements.

The call highlights how transboundary water politics are increasingly intertwined with humanitarian, ecological, and security concerns.

Pakistan’s Call at UN Event

At a high-level UN event titled “Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan’s Water Crisis: Challenges and the Way Forward”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, delivered a powerful keynote speech.

He underscored that water security is an existential issue for Pakistan. Nearly 80% of cultivated land in the country depends on the Indus River system, making the treaty’s stability crucial for food security and livelihoods.

Ambassador Ahmad condemned India’s attempt to suspend the Treaty, labeling it a serious breach of international law. He cited recent rulings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which reaffirmed the treaty’s continuing validity despite India’s objections.

This reaffirmation, he argued, makes it clear that “Water must not be weaponised” under any circumstances.

Humanitarian and Security Risks

One of the most striking points raised was the humanitarian fallout of weaponising water.

Ambassador Ahmad recalled how Pakistan’s devastating floods in 2022 were worsened by India’s failure to share critical upstream water data. Without timely flood warnings, Pakistan was left vulnerable to extreme losses of life and infrastructure.

“To politicise water is to deny people their most fundamental right,” Ahmad warned, urging the world to prevent rivers from being turned into tools of coercion.

The risks extend beyond humanitarian crises. Weakening the IWT could escalate tensions in nuclear-armed South Asia, where trust deficits already run deep.

Global Responsibility and Cooperative Solutions

Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Usman Jadoon echoed these concerns, calling for collective global action to safeguard the Treaty.

He urged the United Nations, the World Bank, and civil society organisations to:

• Reinforce treaty implementation.
• Facilitate dialogue between India and Pakistan.
• Support cooperative, science-based solutions for water management.

Speakers warned that weakening the IWT could set a dangerous precedent for other regions dependent on shared rivers, from the Nile Basin in Africa to the Mekong Delta in Southeast Asia.

Pakistan’s Reaffirmed Commitment

While highlighting the risks, Ambassador Ahmad also reaffirmed Pakistan’s dedication to the Indus Waters Treaty.

He described it not just as a legal contract, but as:

• A lifeline for millions of people.
• A guarantor of regional stability.
• A symbol of international law’s resilience.

“Pakistan will continue to uphold the Treaty in letter and spirit,” he said, urging the international community to stand firm against any attempts to undermine it.

Why the Indus Waters Treaty Matters

The Indus Waters Treaty (1960), brokered by the World Bank, is often hailed as one of the most successful water-sharing agreements in history. It allocates the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India.

For more than six decades, it has survived wars, political crises, and shifting geopolitics — a rare example of resilience in bilateral relations.

Undermining it would:

• Endanger food and water security in Pakistan.
• Escalate tensions in South Asia.
• Undermine trust in international treaties worldwide.

Read more about the Indus Waters Treaty on the World Bank’s official site.

International Reactions and Future Outlook

Global experts and stakeholders are increasingly watching the situation.

• International legal scholars warn that India’s unilateralism risks destabilising treaty law.
• Climate researchers caution that South Asia cannot afford to weaken cooperation at a time of melting glaciers and unpredictable monsoons.
• Civil society groups in Pakistan are urging the government to engage both the UN and friendly countries to ensure the treaty’s full enforcement.

If global actors step in, the IWT could emerge not just intact, but stronger — a model of cooperative resilience in the face of climate challenges.

Conclusion: A Lifeline for Peace and Security

The message from Pakistan at the UN was clear: Water must not be weaponised.

Undermining the Indus Waters Treaty risks not only Pakistan’s water security, but also the peace and stability of an entire region.

By calling for collective global action, Pakistan has drawn attention to the urgency of protecting shared natural resources as lifelines of peace rather than tools of conflict.

As the world grapples with climate change, this is not just a South Asian issue — it is a global responsibility.

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