Pakistan urges India to honor 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, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, made the remarks during a Security Council briefing on the environmental impact of armed conflict and climate-related 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 harm a single country, they weaken confidence in international water law and set a precedent for resource-based coercion elsewhere.” »

Read: Here’s 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 governed equitable water sharing between the two countries for more than six decades. The envoy recalled that the 1960 treaty, negotiated by the World Bank, divided the six rivers of the Indus Basin between India and Pakistan, giving Pakistan control of the western rivers and India the eastern one.

Disputes over Indian hydropower projects on the 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 PCA reaffirmed the continued validity of the treaty and its dispute resolution mechanisms, ruling that no party can unilaterally suspend the agreement.

“No provision in the treaty authorizes unilateral suspension or modification,” Ahmad stressed. “We therefore hope for full compliance with the treaty and a rapid return to compliance and normal functioning through established channels. »

The ambassador also highlighted the link between environmental degradation and broader security challenges. He stressed that armed conflict and climate-related stresses, 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, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure coordinated ecological recovery after conflict.

Ahmad further called for predictable, grant-based new 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 contention. He warned that such support must not add to the debt burden or be double-counted with development or humanitarian aid.

Removal of Syrian leaders from UN sanctions committee

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

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the vote aimed to enable Syria to pursue sustainable development after more than a decade of conflict and civil war, stressing that sanctions relief must be combined with 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 persistent terrorist threats and the presence of foreign fighters, urging 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.