May 26, 2025: Pakistan has strongly condemned India’s unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning at the United Nations that this move threatens the survival of over 240 million people in Pakistan who depend on the Indus river system for agriculture, drinking water, and power generation.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, addressed a special UN session on protecting water in armed conflicts on the evening of Friday, May 23, 2025, during an Arria Formula meeting convened by Slovenia.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, described India’s action as a “grave violation of international law,” including treaty law, human rights law, and customary international law, and called it a dangerous escalation that could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe and destabilize the region
Addressing a special UN session on water protection during armed conflicts, Jadoon condemned India’s attempt to weaponize water, calling it illegal under international human rights and treaty laws.
He added that blocking or diverting river flows that feed millions in Pakistan would never be accepted and demanded India fulfill its legal obligations.
Pakistan emphasized that the IWT has no provision allowing unilateral suspension; any modification or termination requires mutual consent, making India’s suspension illegal and unprecedented. The suspension halts all treaty mechanisms such as data sharing, joint oversight, and cooperation, leaving Pakistan without advance information on river flows, flood forecasts, or drought risks.
Pakistan also highlighted alarming rhetoric from Indian leadership about using water to “starve the people of Pakistan,” which Pakistan called reckless and dangerous.
The Pakistani government has warned that India’s suspension of the treaty amounts to an act of aggression or “act of war,” with the National Security Committee pledging a full-spectrum response if India attempts to stop or divert Pakistan’s share of water.
Pakistan has rejected any association with militant attacks cited by India to justify the suspension and called for international intervention to uphold the treaty and prevent escalation.
As reproted, Pakistan is exploring legal options, including taking the matter to the International Court of Justice or the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and has urged the UN Security Council to closely monitor the situation to avoid further regional instability. The move is seen by Pakistan as part of a broader Indian strategy to politicize water resources, weaken regional cooperation, and apply coercive pressure on Islamabad.