Islamabad tells UN that India’s unilateral action puts regional stability at risk and violates 1960 agreement
Pakistan has warned that India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty poses a serious threat to water security and regional stability, saying the landmark agreement remains legally binding and cannot be altered by a single party.
The remarks were made by Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, at the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable organized by the Permanent Mission of Canada and the United Nations University on Tuesday.
Jadoon described India’s decision as that of a country deliberately using water as a weapon. He said Pakistan’s position was unequivocal: the Indus Waters Treaty remains legally intact and does not allow for any unilateral suspension or modification.
In a press release issued by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Jadoon said India’s decision to suspend the treaty in April last year, followed by unannounced disruptions to downstream water flows and withholding of hydrological information, amounted to substantial violations of the agreement.
Read: India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, international law and Pakistan’s right to self-defense
Speaking at the roundtable, he said the 1960 treaty had, for more than six decades, provided a time-tested framework for the equitable and predictable management of the Indus River Basin. He noted that the system meets more than 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural water needs and supports the livelihoods of more than 240 million people.
Jadoon said water insecurity had become a systemic risk in all regions, affecting food production, energy systems, public health, livelihoods and human security. Referring to Pakistan, he said the country is facing floods, droughts, accelerated melting of glaciers, groundwater depletion and rapid population growth, all of which are putting immense pressure on already stressed water systems.
He said Pakistan was strengthening water resilience through integrated planning, flood protection, irrigation rehabilitation, groundwater replenishment and ecosystem restoration, including initiatives such as Living Indus and Recharge Pakistan.
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Jadoon added that no country alone can manage systemic water risk, especially in shared river basins. He highlighted the need for predictability, transparency and cooperation in transboundary water governance and said water insecurity must be recognized as a global systemic risk ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, placing respect for international water law at the center of shared water management.
