Pakistan has once again highlighted the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at an international conference, warning that weakening the agreement could affect global trust in international treaties. Senior Pakistani leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Senator Musadik Malik, said shared water resources should be managed through cooperation and dialogue rather than conflict.
The conference was held after India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. India linked its decision to concerns over cross-border terrorism and has maintained that normal water cooperation cannot continue until Pakistan takes credible action against terror groups.
Pakistan, whose agriculture and power generation rely heavily on the Indus River system, has expressed concern over the suspension and urged the international community to support the treaty’s continuation.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed water sharing between India and Pakistan for over six decades and is considered one of the world’s most significant cross-border water agreements.