Pakistan urges UN action over India’s suspension of IWT, warns of ‘dangerous precedent’

• Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani raises issue during meeting with UNGA President Annalena Baerbock

• Calls step a blatant violation of international law and treaty provisions, saying move threatens water security of over 240 million Pakistanis

• Stresses climate stress, water scarcity demand cooperation, not unilateralism

 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has raised India’s suspension of the World Bank-brokered and guaranteed, decades-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president, urging action against what Islamabad described as a move that sets “dangerous precedents.” Pakistan stressed that India’s step constitutes a “blatant violation of the treaty’s provisions” and the “principles of customary international law.”

During a meeting on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) annual hearing, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani told UNGA President Annalena Baerbock that India’s action threatens the lives and livelihoods of more than 240 million Pakistanis and establishes dangerous precedents. “Particularly at a time when climate stress and water scarcity demand cooperation and strict respect for international agreements,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani information ministry.

The Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus basin rivers between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, has long been regarded as a cornerstone of regional water stability. India said in April last year it would hold the treaty “in abeyance” following a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed more than 26 tourists. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad categorically denied.

The incident triggered a four-day military confrontation between the neighbours last May, during which both sides employed fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery, before a United States-brokered ceasefire brought hostilities to a halt. Despite the truce, tensions between the two countries have remained high.

Under the treaty, mediated by the World Bank, Pakistan is granted rights over the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking and non-consumptive uses such as hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — for unrestricted use, provided their flows are not significantly altered.

Highlighting the mounting impacts of climate change, Gilani said countries like Pakistan remain among the most severely affected, underscoring the urgency of collective action, climate justice and strengthened international cooperation. “The United Nations provides an indispensable platform for addressing these interconnected challenges,” he said.

Leading a six-member parliamentary delegation, Gilani this week delivered Pakistan’s national statement at the IPU annual hearing at UN headquarters, calling for democratic, transparent and accountable decision-making to enhance the organisation’s credibility, according to the Senate of Pakistan.

“Parliaments are indispensable partners in ensuring national ownership of international commitments,” he was quoted as saying. “Reform is essential. But it must be ‘Reform for All, Privilege for None’.”

The Senate chairman also reaffirmed the continuing centrality of the United Nations as the cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, stressing that its universal membership and Charter-based mandate remain vital for promoting global peace and security.