Envoy Warns Treaty Suspension Puts Millions at Risk
Pakistan has issued a stark warning at the United Nations, stating that India’s unilateral decision to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has created an “unprecedented crisis” for regional water security and stability. The charge was leveled by Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, during a high-level policy roundtable in New York.
A “Deliberate Weaponization” of Water
Ambassador Jadoon described India’s move, taken in April 2025, as a “deliberate weaponisation of water.” He detailed subsequent material breaches of the treaty, including unannounced disruptions to downstream water flows and the withholding of critical hydrological data from Pakistan. “Pakistan’s position is unequivocal; the Treaty remains legally intact and permits no unilateral suspension or modification,” Jadoon asserted at the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable.
Vital Lifeline for 240 Million People
The ambassador underscored the treaty’s critical role, noting it has governed the Indus River basin for over six decades. He highlighted the basin’s importance, stating it sustains one of the world’s largest irrigation systems, provides over 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural water, and supports the lives and livelihoods of more than 240 million people. The suspension, therefore, directly threatens food production and human security in the region.
Systemic Risks and a Call for Cooperation
Jadoon framed water insecurity as a systemic global risk, exacerbated in Pakistan by climate vulnerability, floods, droughts, and population growth. He argued that such transboundary challenges cannot be managed by any nation alone. “Predictability, transparency, and cooperation in transboundary water governance are matters of survival for downstream populations,” he stated.
The ambassador called for international water law and cooperation to be central to global water governance, especially ahead of the UN Water Conference in 2026. He urged the world to recognize water insecurity as a systemic risk to ensure protection for vulnerable communities dependent on shared rivers.
