Pakistan Warns Of Severe Risks From India’s Indus Waters Treaty Violations |
On 20th December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan briefed the Diplomatic Corps in Islamabad on India’s persistent material breaches of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). He highlighted India’s repeated manipulation of water flows, construction of illegal hydropower projects on the Western Rivers, and refusal to engage the IWT’s dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Thus, Pakistan has timely placed its case before the international community and has re-emphasised the dangers inherent in this bellicose and illegal Indian weaponisation of water.
Unfortunately, history tells us that it has always been India’s desire to stop or regulate the waters of the Indus basin from flowing into Pakistan. Despite well-established international laws governing the water flow between the upper and lower riparians, India first stopped water flow to Pakistan on 1st April 1948, shortly after Partition, by shutting off key canals like the Upper Bari Doab and Dipalpur Canals.
This led to negotiations, and after 12 years, the World Bank brokered the Indus Water Treaty in 1960 between the two countries. Despite wars and continuous acrimony between them, the IWT was held sacrosanct by both. However, India held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance starting 23rd April 2025, immediately following the Pahalgam terror attack. Sadly, without an iota of evidence, India's Foreign Secretary announced the move as a response to perceived cross-border terrorism. This was an illegal step, as the IWT itself has no provision for unilateral suspension under international law, leading to legal challenges from Pakistan.
Since then, India has been using its upstream position to create uncertainty, fear, and cause severe economic harm in Pakistan. Pakistan has been raising serious concerns about the........