Pakistan urges India to respect Indus Waters Treaty, citing UN court ruling

Pakistan has called on India to fully comply with the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that India’s unilateral suspension earlier this year represents a “deliberate militarization of shared natural resources” that threatens the ecosystems and livelihoods of millions of people.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks during a Security Council briefing on the environmental impact of armed conflict and climate-induced security risks.

“India’s illegal unilateral decision undermines the letter and spirit of the treaty, disrupts data sharing and endangers the lives of millions of people who depend on these waters for their food and energy security,” Ahmad said. “Such acts do not just harm one country, they undermine confidence in international water law and set a precedent for resource-based coercion elsewhere.”

Read: This is what India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty means for Pakistan

He described India’s move as a violation of a treaty that has regulated the equitable sharing of water between the two countries for more than six decades. The envoy recalled that the 1960 treaty, mediated by the World Bank, divided the six rivers of the Indus basin between India and Pakistan, giving Pakistan control over the western rivers and India over the eastern rivers.

Disputes over India’s hydropower projects on western rivers have been a source of tension for years, culminating in arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. In 2025, the ACC reaffirmed the continued validity of the treaty and its dispute resolution mechanisms, ruling that neither party may unilaterally suspend the agreement.

“No provision of the treaty allows for unilateral suspension or modification,” Ahmad stressed. “We therefore expect full respect for the treaty and a prompt return to compliance and normal functioning through established channels.”

The ambassador also highlighted the link between environmental degradation and broader security challenges. He noted that armed conflict and climate-related stress, including sea level rise, pose existential threats to vulnerable nations, and urged the Security Council to focus on early conflict prevention, integrate environmental considerations into peace operations, uphold international humanitarian law, and ensure coordinated ecological recovery after conflict.

Ahmad also called for new, predictable, grant-based funding for climate and biodiversity. “Environmental damage in conflict is not just collateral: it can be a multiplier of insecurity,” he said, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to international cooperation to transform shared natural resources into instruments of collaboration rather than containment. He warned that such support should not increase the debt burden or be double-counted with humanitarian or development aid.

Exclusion of Syrian leaders from UN sanctions committee

Pakistan voted in favor of the UN Security Council resolution to exclude Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the 1267 sanctions committee, describing the move as a step towards Syria’s political stability, institutional reconstruction and economic recovery.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the vote is aimed at allowing Syria to pursue sustainable development after more than a decade of conflict and civil war, and stressed that sanctions relief must be accompanied by sustained dialogue and a Syrian-led political process.

“The Syrian people have suffered for more than a decade. Today’s vote is a welcome step to support their transition to peace and stability,” Ahmad said.

He warned that challenges remain, including ongoing terrorist threats and the presence of foreign fighters, and urged Syrian authorities to consolidate central control and stabilize the country.

Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with Syria and its commitment to supporting inclusive nation-building through international engagement, aligning its position with broader Security Council efforts to support Syria’s new transitional leadership and restore confidence in its governance.