Indus Dispute: Pakistan Moves UNSC, Cites Risk to Millions
APP
New York: Pakistan has escalated its diplomatic offensive at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), urging immediate intervention over India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and warning of far-reaching consequences for regional stability.
In a strongly worded letter, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar called on the Council to press India to fully restore the decades-old treaty, resume cooperation, and halt what Pakistan described as “water coercion.”
The letter, addressed to Council President Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, was formally delivered by Pakistan’s UN envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad at UN Headquarters in New York.
Islamabad warned that India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance, one year after its suspension, poses “grave” security, environmental, and humanitarian risks for over 240 million people who depend on the Indus river system.
Briefing the Council president, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also accused India of repeating “baseless allegations and propaganda” at a time when Pakistan claims it is engaged in mediation efforts to promote regional peace.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/how-iwt-suspension-threatens-pakistans-honey-industry/
He further emphasized that the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the core driver of instability in South Asia, calling for a just and lasting resolution in line with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty is widely regarded as one of the most resilient agreements between the nuclear-armed neighbors, surviving multiple wars and decades of hostility. It allocates the western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, primarily to Pakistan, forming the backbone of its agriculture.
However, India announced on April 23, 2025, that it was suspending the treaty amid heightened tensions, accusing Pakistan, without presenting evidence, of involvement in a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Islamabad denied the allegations, but the episode triggered a brief yet intense military confrontation between the two countries in May last year.
With tensions still simmering, Pakistan’s move to take the issue to the UNSC signals a renewed push to internationalize the dispute and mount pressure on New Delhi to return to treaty obligations.
