Islamabad tells UN that India’s unilateral action endangers regional stability 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 historic agreement remains legally binding and cannot be changed by a single party.
These remarks were made by Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, during the roundtable on global water policy on bankruptcy organized by the Permanent Mission of Canada and the United Nations University on Tuesday.
Jadoon described India’s move as that of a country that deliberately uses water as a weapon. He said Pakistan’s position was unequivocal: the Indus Waters Treaty remains legally intact and does not permit 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, constituted material violations of the agreement.
Read: India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, international law and Pakistan’s right of self-defense
Speaking at the panel discussion, he said the 1960 treaty had, for over six decades, provided a proven framework for the equitable and predictable management of the Indus Basin. He noted that the system meets more than 80 per cent of Pakistan’s agricultural water needs and ensures the livelihoods of more than 240 million people.
Jadoon said water insecurity had become a systemic risk across all regions, affecting food production, energy systems, public health, livelihoods and human security. Referring to Pakistan, he said the country faces 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 systemic water risk cannot be managed by any country alone, especially in shared river basins. He highlighted the need for predictability, transparency and cooperation in transboundary water governance and said water insecurity should be recognized as a global systemic risk ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, with respect for international water law placed at the center of shared water management.
