Pakistan calls on WB and UN to act as IWT violations by India threaten food security, agriculture

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has urged the World Bank and the United Nations to take immediate action after repeated violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India, warning that millions of people face hunger and starvation while the country’s agriculture and livestock sectors come under severe threat.

Experts said India’s recent extraordinary reduction of water flow in the Chenab River has put food and water security in Azad Kashmir and Punjab at risk. Professor Dr Zilakat Malik, former chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, told APP that water levels at the Marala headworks fell to 870 cusecs in December 2025, far below the ten-year minimum of 4,000 to 4,400 cusecs.

Dr Malik said satellite imagery from December 8 and 13, 2025, showed a notable decrease in the surface area of India’s Baglihar dam, suggesting water retention that contributed to the reduced flow at Marala. He warned that this reduction could lead to shortages in staple crops, meat, and milk production, while nearly 40 percent of wheat and rice cultivation could be affected.

The situation in December follows a similar incident in May 2025, indicating a repeated pattern. Dr Malik described India’s actions as using water as a weapon and stressed that such interference violates international law, calling on the World Bank, as treaty guarantor, and the UN to intervene.

Professor Dr Adnan Sarwar Khan, former chairman of the International Relations Department at the University of Peshawar, said India’s unilateral decision to hold the IWT in abeyance threatens water security, food production, and energy stability for millions in Pakistan.

He emphasized that the move contradicts international legal frameworks, conventions, and rulings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

The IWT, signed in 1960 between President Ayub Khan of Pakistan and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and guaranteed by the World Bank, allocates the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab to Pakistan, while the eastern rivers, Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi, are allocated to India. The treaty contains no provision allowing unilateral suspension or termination.

Experts highlighted that the Indus Basin supports nearly 300 million people, and disruptions in water flows could compromise agriculture, hydropower generation, and livelihoods, placing over 245 million people at risk of hunger. Major infrastructure, including Tarbela Dam, the under-construction Diamer-Bhasha Dam, and Dasu Hydropower Project, rely on uninterrupted river flows. Barrages such as Jinnah, Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu, and Sukkur could face operational challenges, potentially causing regional energy shortages.

Tarbela Dam, one of the world’s largest earth-filled dams, provides critical irrigation and electricity, while Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River, completed in 1967, remains a key water storage and hydropower facility. Other projects, including the Neelum-Jhelum and Karot Hydropower plants, are essential for electricity production and irrigation management. Chenab River headworks such as Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad regulate canal flows critical to Punjab’s agriculture.

Manzoorul Haq, a former ambassador, noted that the IWT has historically survived periods of conflict, including the wars of 1948, 1965, 1971, and the 1999 Kargil conflict, underscoring its importance for both nations.

Barrister Noman Kakakhel, senior member of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, said India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty lacks legal and diplomatic basis, referencing the PCA ruling of August 2025, which reaffirmed the treaty’s binding status and rejected unilateral abeyance. Article XII(4) allows termination only through mutual agreement.

Professor Dr Minhas Majeed Khan, chair of the International Relations Department at the University of Peshawar, warned that unilateral actions by an upper riparian state could set a dangerous precedent in international water law, create food insecurity, and destabilize the region.

Experts collectively called on the World Bank and the UN to uphold the IWT and ensure compliance, emphasizing that international cooperation is essential to protect regional peace, food security, and economic stability.