Experts Urge Pakistan to Uphold Indus Waters Treaty Amid Tensions

At a policy dialogue in Washington, experts urged Pakistan to continue adhering to the Indus Waters Treaty and not allow political or security disputes with India to become a reason for departing from the agreement. The dialogue, hosted by the Pakistan Embassy, rejected India's position that the treaty could remain in abeyance.

Former Pakistan ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, advised that Pakistan should pursue an active diplomatic strategy and continue to participate in the treaty's mechanisms, even if New Delhi refuses. He also suggested exploring the creation of an impartial international mechanism, possibly involving the United Nations, and consulting with China on the matter.

During the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar proposed three principles for a way forward: full respect for and implementation of the treaty, addressing all disputes through its existing mechanisms, and restoring technical engagement and data-sharing between the two countries.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has reiterated Islamabad's desire for a "constructive dialogue" with India regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

This statement reinforces Pakistan's diplomatic position on the 1960 water-sharing agreement, following earlier high-level warnings against any unilateral changes to the pact by New Delhi.

In a high-level policy dialogue at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar warned against the politicization or weaponization of shared water resources.

The event, titled “The Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at Crossroads,” brought together American policy experts, scholars, and diplomats. Addressing the forum, Mr. Dar emphasized the legal sanctity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it an instrument of regional stability.

He rejected India’s reported unilateral decision of April 2025 to place the treaty “in abeyance,” maintaining that the agreement provides no basis for such an action. He warned that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its allocated waters could have profound consequences.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, also spoke, highlighting the treaty's resilience through past wars and political crises between the two nations.