Pakistan warns against weaponizing water at UN, rejects India’s stance on IWT

Pakistan has warned at the United Nations against “weaponizing water”, calling it a threat to regional stability, economic security and the livelihoods of millions of people, while strongly criticizing India’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty.

At a high-level event to mark World Water Day, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik said the politicization of water resources amounted to an attack on Pakistan’s social and economic fabric. Radio Pakistan reported.

He described India’s decision to put the treaty on hold as “deeply worrying,” calling it unilateral, unjustified and in violation of a long-standing cooperation framework.

“These actions undermine not only the agreements but also regional stability,” the minister said, warning that turning water into a geopolitical tool could have far-reaching consequences.

In a right of reply in the same forum, Second Secretary Aleena Majeed rejected what she called “baseless comments” by the Indian representative and defended the legal status of the treaty.

He noted that the agreement, signed in 1960, had withstood prolonged wars, crises and political tensions (including the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir) and remained a cornerstone of water sharing between the two countries.

Majeed said India’s unilateral move to keep the treaty on hold last year marked a “serious departure” from its legal and historical foundations.

“No provision of the treaty allows for unilateral suspension or modification,” he said, adding that such actions amounted to weaponizing water for narrow political gains and endangered the lives of millions of people.

Referring to a 2025 supplemental award by the Court of Arbitration, he said the ruling affirmed that the treaty remains in force, its dispute resolution mechanisms are binding and no party has the authority to render it inoperative. “India must immediately return to full and complete implementation of the treaty,” he said.

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Majeed also rejected India’s terrorism-related allegations, calling them baseless and accusing New Delhi of trying to divert attention from its own record.

He further alleged that India had been involved in cross-border destabilization and cited what he described as evidence of support for militant groups targeting Pakistan.

Reiterating Islamabad’s position, he said Pakistan remains committed to international law and faithful implementation of treaty obligations, while firmly opposing any attempt to use water as a political instrument.

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Furthermore, Malik highlighted Pakistan’s economic vulnerability to water insecurity, noting that agriculture contributes 25% to 30% of GDP and supports almost half of the workforce.

She added that more than 61% of women’s employment is linked to agriculture, underscoring the connection between access to water, livelihoods and gender equality.

The minister also noted the human cost of climate-related disasters, saying recent floods had killed thousands of people, injured many more and displaced millions, further intensifying pressure on already fragile water systems.

He stressed that cooperative water management frameworks must be preserved, warning that their erosion risks increasing tensions in an already volatile region.