UN Steps In After India Declares IWT Dead

News Desk

Islamabad: The United Nations has stressed the importance of sharing natural resources under mutually agreed treaties, in response to a recent threat by India’s Home Minister Amit Shah that New Delhi would never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, when asked about Shah’s remarks during a regular press briefing in New York, said: “I haven’t seen that particular statement, but, obviously, it is critical that natural resources be shared based on mutually accepted treaties.”

The IWT, signed in 1960, is a landmark agreement brokered by the World Bank to regulate the use of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. The treaty ensured water access for Pakistan’s agricultural sector through three major rivers originating in India, covering nearly 80% of its irrigated farmland.

India suspended its participation in the treaty following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. New Delhi blamed the incident on Pakistan, an accusation Islamabad has firmly denied.

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Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered during the Trump administration that eased heightened tensions, India has not resumed its obligations under the IWT. In a recent interview with The Times of India, Shah reiterated New Delhi’s intent to divert waters destined for Pakistan to India’s Rajasthan state through the construction of a new canal.

“No, it [the treaty] will never be restored,” Shah said, escalating regional tensions further.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a strong condemnation of Shah’s statement, calling it a blatant violation of international law and a dangerous precedent. “The statement reflects a brazen disregard for the sanctity of international agreements,” said FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari echoed these concerns. He termed India’s suspension of the treaty “illegal” and warned that any move to block Pakistan’s water would constitute a violation of the UN Charter.

“Threatening to cut off water supplies to Pakistan is not only unlawful but also an act of aggression,” Bhutto-Zardari said. “If India goes down this path, Pakistan will be compelled to respond. We have defeated India before — and we can do it again.”

The IWT has withstood multiple conflicts between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and is widely seen as one of the most successful examples of water diplomacy. Analysts warn that dismantling such frameworks could destabilize an already fragile region.