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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday welcomed the Supplemental Award issued by the Court of Arbitration in the Indus Waters Treaty proceedings, saying the ruling had firmly upheld Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing position that India&rsquo;s water-control capability on the Western Rivers remained subject to strict Treaty limitations.&nbsp;In an official statement issued after the Award dated May 15, 2026, the Government of Pakistan said the Court had affirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty imposed &ldquo;substantive limits on India&rsquo;s water-control capability on the Western Rivers,&rdquo; adding that such restrictions &ldquo;are not formalities.&rdquo;&nbsp;The government stated that the ruling established that pondage for a Run-of-River hydropower project &ldquo;must be justified by real project needs, actual expected operation, site hydrology, hydraulic conditions, power-system requirements, and the information and explanation required under the Treaty.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Supplemental Award concerns the long-running design disputes relating to India&rsquo;s Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.&nbsp;The ruling comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the 2025 Pahalgam incident, after which India announced suspension of water cooperation measures relating to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty framework.&nbsp;&nbsp;Islamabad has consistently maintained that the Treaty is an internationally binding agreement that cannot be unilaterally suspended or held in abeyance by either party.&nbsp;Pakistan said the Court&rsquo;s latest findings built upon the General Issues Award issued on August 8, 2025, and provided practical effect to the principle that &ldquo;installed capacity and anticipated load must be realistic, well-founded and defensible.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the statement, the Court held that installed capacity &ldquo;must correspond to actual expected operation, hydrologic and hydraulic data, and Treaty requirements,&rdquo; while anticipated load &ldquo;must correspond to actual expected operation and to the projected needs of the power system the plant is intended to serve.&rdquo;&nbsp;It described the findings as addressing &ldquo;a core Treaty concern,&rdquo; asserting that India could not justify expanded pondage through &ldquo;imagined capacity, artificial load curves, unrealistic peaking assumptions, or bare assertions of compliance with Paragraph 15 release limits.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Paragraph 15 remains an operational constraint, but it is not a substitute for an evidence-based justification of the water-control capacity sought,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The government further stated that the Award strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s review rights under the Treaty by placing responsibility on India to provide sufficient technical data and explanation to establish compliance.&nbsp;&ldquo;If India fails to do so, it fails to carry its burden of establishing that the proposed maximum Pondage satisfies Paragraph 8(c) of Annexure D,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;Pakistan also noted that the Court confirmed any applicable minimum-flow obligation must be considered while calculating pondage required for Firm Power generation, where such obligations exist and are not otherwise fulfilled.&nbsp;The government emphasized that the Court had earlier ruled that awards issued by the Court of Arbitration were &ldquo;final and binding on the Parties&rdquo; and carried &ldquo;controlling legal effect for subsequent Treaty bodies on relevant questions of Treaty interpretation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan said it would place these interpretations before the Neutral Expert process &ldquo;consistent with Treaty procedures and applicable confidentiality arrangements.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reaffirming commitment to the Indus Waters Treaty and peaceful dispute resolution, Pakistan said it would continue pursuing &ldquo;every lawful and diplomatic means&rdquo; to ensure hydroelectric projects on the Western Rivers were designed and operated &ldquo;strictly within Treaty limits.&rdquo;&nbsp;Calling the ruling a &ldquo;strategic consolidation&rdquo; of Pakistan&rsquo;s Treaty position, the statement said the Award established that &ldquo;maximum Pondage must be realistic, evidence-based, hydrologically grounded, power-system justified, Treaty-compliant, and incapable of inflation through artificial assumptions.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

The Court of Arbitration holds that maximum pondage under the Indus Waters Treaty must be realistically justified through hydrological, operational and power-system evidence, rejecting inflated assumptions and requiring India to provide sufficient data establishing Treaty compliance.

‘Strategic consolidation’: Pakistan hails Hague backing on Treaty rights

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that India&#39;s allegations against Pakistan regarding the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-failed-to-substantiate-pahalgam-allegations-after-one-year-pakistan-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">Pahalgam attack</a>&nbsp;were rejected internationally, while Islamabad&#39;s position gained global recognition. &quot;Pakistan&#39;s truth emerged as a bright reality at the global level,&quot; Tarar said. &quot;India&#39;s baseless allegations and fabricated narrative could not find acceptance at the global level.&quot; The information minister was speaking on the first anniversary of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&#39;s address at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, which he called a historic turning point on the diplomatic front. Pakistan had first responded to Indian allegations at a National Security Committee meeting on April 24, 2025, according to the information minister. Two days later, PM Sharif addressed cadets at PMA Kakul, delivering &ldquo;a befitting reply to India&rdquo; over &ldquo;a false flag operation in Pahalgam.&rdquo; &quot;The blame game and baseless allegations under the guise of incidents like Pahalgam must stop,&quot; PM Sharif said in that address, as quoted by the minister. Tarar said that the prime minister described the Pahalgam incident as a tragedy. Pakistan also expressed sympathy with the victims and raised concern and regret at the global level. He noted how India, by contrast, has never condemned terrorist incidents. The information minister said when the prime minister offered to investigate the Pahalgam incident, India backed down entirely. &quot;India&#39;s failure to respond to the offer of investigation is a question mark on its position,&quot; he said. &quot;The whole world supported Pakistan&#39;s position.&quot; Tarar stated how India-backed terrorist groups are directly involved, including <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-security-forces-kill-15-terrorists-in-balochistan-operation-military" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">Fitna al-Hindustan</a>&nbsp;(Balochistan Liberation Army) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-premier-vows-to-eradicate-all-forms-of-terrorism-from-country" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">Fitna al-Khwarij</a> (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan).&nbsp;&quot;The clear difference is that Pakistan has made sacrifices against terrorism while India promotes terrorism,&quot; he said. He said that Pakistan has lost more than 90,000 lives in the war on terrorism and suffered over $600 billion in economic losses. On India&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/president-zardari-calls-on-india-to-restore-indus-waters-treaty" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">weaponization of water</a> against Pakistan, the minister said PM Sharif issued an unambiguous warning: &quot;Water is Pakistan&#39;s red line, there will be no compromise on it.&quot; India uses water as a weapon alongside terrorism, he stated. &quot;Pakistan&#39;s forces are capable of giving a full and effective response to any adventure,&quot; Tarar said. &quot;The entire nation stands with the Pakistani forces and is determined to defend the homeland.&quot; &quot;The Pakistani nation will not compromise on its honor and dignity,&quot; he said, quoting the prime minister directly. Pakistan&#39;s institutional and military strength has become clear to the world, he stated. &ldquo;India faced defeat on all fronts &mdash; narrative, diplomatic, and otherwise.&rdquo; &quot;Pakistan gained respect, dignity and trust at the global level. The morale of overseas Pakistanis also rose.&quot; &quot;The prime minister&#39;s speech in Kakul will be remembered as an important milestone in history,&quot; he declared.

Security

Attaullah Tarar says India did not respond to Islamabad's offer for a joint investigation into the Pahalgam attack, noting that Pakistan’s position gained global support while India’s narrative was rejected.

India's Pahalgam narrative rejected, Pakistan's position gained global acceptance: Information Minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to call on India to fully restore the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that its suspension carries &ldquo;grave implications&rdquo; for regional peace, security, and humanitarian conditions. This was conveyed in a letter from the country&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to the president of the UN General Assembly, delivered by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, according to a post shared on X by the ambassador on Friday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 852px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2047500206766170494&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=0afcd94fa3858bd744249f4b0c1d5eb6a66c5e49&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2047500206766170494"></iframe></div></div>According to the message, Islamabad raised concerns over India&rsquo;s illegal suspension of the 1960 water-sharing agreement, describing it as unlawful and urging international attention. The communication specifically stated that &ldquo;It urges the Security Council to call upon India to fully restore the implementation of the IWT in all respects, in line with its international obligations.&rdquo; Pakistan argued that disruption of the treaty could have serious humanitarian consequences and destabilize regional relations, while framing the issue as one with implications beyond bilateral ties.&nbsp;&lsquo;Baseless propaganda campaign&rsquo;The Pakistani envoy also briefed the President of the Council on the &ldquo;baseless propaganda campaign&rdquo; by India against Pakistan, arguing it was being conducted while Islamabad is engaged in mediation efforts aimed at supporting international peace and security. In addition, Pakistan reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains central to long-standing tensions in South Asia. It noted that the issue is already on the Security Council&rsquo;s agenda and maintained that lasting peace in the region would not be possible without its resolution in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

FM Dar’s letter to the UNGA president highlights the 'grave implications of India’s illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for regional peace and security, as well as its serious humanitarian consequences.'

Pakistan urges UNSC to call upon India to restore Indus Waters Treaty 

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday criticized India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), in his message on World Water Day. &ldquo;This deliberate weaponisation of shared water resources is a matter of deep concern,&rdquo; the president said, according to a statement through the press information department. He said India&rsquo;s decision to place the treaty in abeyance and disrupt &ldquo; hydrological data-sharing&rdquo; mechanisms undermines &ldquo;both the letter and spirit&rdquo; of a &ldquo;six-decades-old&rdquo; international agreement. &ldquo;I call on India to immediately restore full implementation of the Treaty in accordance with international obligations,&rdquo; he added. The IWT signed in 1960 by Pakistan and India through the World Bank, allocated the three western rivers of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers of Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej to India. In 2025, India unilaterally announced the suspension of its obligations under the IWT, following a terrorist attack in Illegally Indian Occupied Kashmir. India blamed Islamabad for the attack without any evidence. Zardari&rsquo;s remarks came as Pakistan marked World Water Day under the theme &ldquo;Water and Gender,&rdquo; focusing on unequal access to water. &ldquo;Women and girls often carry the heaviest burden when safe water is not available close to home,&rdquo; he said. He noted that in many parts of the country, households rely on distant or unreliable water sources, forcing women and girls to spend long hours collecting water. &ldquo;Time that could otherwise be spent in school, at work or with their families,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Access to safe water and sanitation is a basic right recognised under our Constitution,&rdquo; the president added. &ldquo;Ensuring reliable and safe water supply must remain a national priority.&rdquo; &ldquo;As pressures on water resources grow due to population demands and climate variability, we must use water with greater care,&rdquo; the president concluded

Asif Ali Zardari condemned the Indian aggression for suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a weaponization of shared water resources and a violation of the decades-old agreement.

India’s water aggression condemned as Pakistan demands treaty restoration

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Thursday accused India of engaging in &ldquo;water terrorism&rdquo; and urged the international community to ensure adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty during a Security Council briefing on &ldquo;Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security.&rdquo; Addressing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/disrupting-indus-waters-treaty-poses-immediate-humanitarian-security-risks-pakistan-at-un" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">water resources</a>, Ahmad said: &ldquo;This applies equally to water, the most critical of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-indus-treaty-abeyance-breaches-international-law-pakistan-tells-un" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">natural resources</a>.&rdquo; He added that &ldquo;shared water resources are indispensable for sustaining life, and for sustainable development and prosperity.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 721px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2029705649064640652&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5c93a164c4385a40ae1731c435bc75a3afefd2f6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2029705649064640652"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;We reject the weaponization of water to choke this lifeline for lower riparians, also threatening regional peace, security and stability,&rdquo; he said. India&#39;s &#39;water terrorism&#39;&nbsp; Referring to India, Ahmad said: &ldquo;Pakistan itself is confronted with water terrorism by India that has resorted to unilateral and unlawful action of putting in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty in violation of international law and the provisions of that Treaty.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;International community must impress upon India to return to full compliance with the Indus Waters Treaty, which remains valid and in-force as per the August 2025 award of the Court of Arbitration.&rdquo; Speaking at the session, Ahmad said: &ldquo;Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is essential for development, stability and prosperity.&rdquo; He added that the global shift toward renewable energy, electric mobility, battery storage, advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure and grid modernization has &ldquo;sharply increased the demand for critical minerals.&rdquo; &ldquo;This upsurge has generated new geopolitical and geo-economic pressures,&rdquo; he said, warning that &ldquo;if not managed responsibly, competition over natural resources can affect supply chains, aggravate tensions, undermine sovereignty, and contribute to instability.&rdquo; Highlighting risks in conflict-affected regions, Ahmad said: &ldquo;Experience shows that where mineral wealth intersects with weak governance, entrenched poverty and external interference, the risks of instability increase.&rdquo; He noted that &ldquo;illicit extraction, trafficking networks and opaque financial flows have fuelled armed conflict and violence, weakened state institutions and deprived populations of legitimate revenues.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;The scramble for natural resources and its linkage to conflict and instability is therefore not new.&rdquo; Ahmad added that Pakistan believes &ldquo;natural resources must serve as instruments of economic development and shared prosperity, and not coercion or conflict.&rdquo;

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Thursday accused India of engaging in 'water terrorism' and urged the international community to ensure adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty during a Security Council briefing on 'Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security.'



Pakistan urges action on India for Indus Waters Treaty compliance

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council that any unilateral disruption of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) carries &ldquo;real and immediate&rdquo; risks for regional peace, humanitarian stability, and environmental security, stressing that the treaty remains legally binding and cannot be suspended unilaterally. Addressing the Council, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nation,s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahme, said that interference in established water-sharing arrangements would have severe consequences, particularly for Pakistan&rsquo;s population of more than 250 million people living downstream. &ldquo;Any unilateral disruption to established water-sharing arrangements carries humanitarian, environmental, and peace and security implications,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When lifelines of millions are placed under unilateral discretion, risks are not just hypothetical.&rdquo; &ldquo;They are real and immediate.&rdquo; Referring to recent proceedings at the Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Ahmed said the ruling had reaffirmed a core legal principle governing the treaty. &ldquo;The Indus Waters Treaty remains in force. Its dispute settlement mechanisms remain binding, and no party has the legal authority to unilaterally suspend or render it inoperative,&rdquo; he said. Warning of broader global implications, he said, allowing a binding treaty governing shared natural resources to be set aside would undermine the stability of international agreements more generally. &ldquo;If a binding treaty designed to prevent disputes can be unilaterally discarded, then no agreement is truly insulated from politics,&rdquo; Ahmed told the Council. &ldquo;Borders, demilitarized zones, trade corridors, and humanitarian arrangements all become more fragile.&rdquo; He added: &ldquo;A treaty&rsquo;s true test is not when it aligns with political convenience, but when it constrains unilateral impulse.&rdquo; The ambassador stressed that maintaining international peace and security required proactive defense of legal frameworks, not just reactive crisis management. &ldquo;Upholding international peace and security requires not only responding to crises after they erupt, but defending the legal frameworks that prevent crises from arising in the first place,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Compliance with treaties must therefore be regarded as a strategic imperative for conflict prevention and resolution.&rdquo; Concluding his remarks, Ahmed urged collective responsibility among states. &ldquo;Let our message today be clear and collective: treaties must not become casualties of geopolitics. They must remain anchors of restraint, pathways of cooperation and safeguards for peace,&rdquo; he said. India announced a unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty last year following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir last year. Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the time condemned the move as &ldquo;unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit.&rdquo; Earlier this week, the Pakistani ambassador again slammed India of violating international law by placing the treaty in abeyance, warning that such actions undermine the sanctity of treaties and heighten risks to regional stability. Last month, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador Usman Jadoon said that since India&rsquo;s decision, it had committed &ldquo;material breaches,&rdquo; including &ldquo;unannounced disruptions of downstream flows and withholding of hydrological information,&rdquo; which he said had created &ldquo;an unprecedented crisis for water security and for regional stability.&rdquo;<figure class="fr-media"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic"> </figcaption></figure>

Climate & Environment

Ambassador says upholding international peace and security requires “not only responding to crisis after they erupt but defending the legal frameworks that prevents crisis from arising in the first place.” 

Disrupting Indus Waters Treaty poses immediate humanitarian, security risks: Pakistan at UN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan at the United Nations on Tuesday said that &ldquo;acrobatics with words will not legitimize&rdquo; India&rsquo;s illegal occupation of Kashmir, and warned that India was &ldquo;deliberately weaponizing water.&rdquo;&nbsp; First Secretary Zulfiqar Ali from Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said that the assertion that Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was an &ldquo;integral part of India does not stand the test of history, geography, justice, fairness, and most significantly, international law.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Acrobatics with words will not legitimize India&rsquo;s illegal occupation of Kashmir, nor could the marginalization of Indian minorities do it any good,&rdquo; Ali said while speaking during the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity meeting.&nbsp; Pakistan will continue to extend &ldquo;political and moral support to the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people,&rdquo; the first secretary said, adding that the country would call for &ldquo;holding a UN-supervised plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, as per UNSC resolutions, and the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.&rdquo; Ali also urged the international community to &ldquo;keep a close watch&rdquo; on human rights violations against minorities in India, lest our collective failure to do so might sleepwalk us to another great tragedy.&rdquo;&nbsp; India&#39;s abeyance of Indus Water TreatyIn a separate statement given at the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable at the UN, Pakistani Ambassador Usman Jadoon said since India&rsquo;s abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty in April last year, the neighbor has carried out &ldquo;material breaches; including unannounced disruptions of downstream flows and <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-dulhasti-stageii-project-underscores-strain-on-indus-waters-treaty-report-says" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">withholding of hydrological information</a>, creating an unprecedented crisis for water security and for regional stability.&quot; &ldquo;This is not nature&#39;s doing. This is a nation state deliberately <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-raises-alarm-over-indias-violations-of-indus-waters-treaty" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">weaponizing water</a>,&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s acting permanent representative to the UN said. The ambassador said that for more than six decades, the treaty &ldquo;has provided a time-tested framework for equitable and predictable management of the waters of the Indus River basin.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s position is unequivocal; the treaty remains legally intact and permits <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/clarification-sought-from-india-over-abrupt-variation-in-chenab-water-flows-pakistan-fo-spox" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">no unilateral suspension</a> or modification,&rdquo; he added. Ambassador Jadoon said Pakistan believed that as we move toward the UN&rsquo;s water conference this year, the process must acknowledge water insecurity as a systemic global risk. He added that cooperation and respect for international water law must be placed at the center of shared water governance, ensuring that commitments translate into real protection for vulnerable downstream communities.

First Secretary Zulfiqar Ali says, 'Acrobatics with words will not legitimize India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir'; Ambassador Jadoon says India has carried out material breaches of Indus Water Treaty.

Pakistan calls out India's illegal occupation of Kashmir at the UN 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah on Sunday said the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains &ldquo;fully enforced&rdquo; and cannot be suspended or set aside unilaterally, stressing that the treaty &ldquo;shall remain in force until modified or terminated by both the parties.&rdquo; Speaking to Pakistan broadcaster Geo News, Shah rejected India&rsquo;s claim of placing the treaty in abeyance, saying such a concept had no standing under international law. &ldquo;The word abeyance does not exist in international law, especially the laws of treaties,&rdquo; he said, adding that the term was &ldquo;coined by India.&rdquo; Responding to a question on whether the treaty allowed unilateral suspension, Shah said the position was unambiguous. &ldquo;It is written clearly in paragraph four [of the treaty] that the treaty shall remain in force until modified or terminated by both parties,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That is the spirit of it. Unilaterally walking away from the treaty or non-cooperation is out of the way.&rdquo; Shah further said Pakistan&rsquo;s understanding was that India itself recognized the legal limitations. &ldquo;Even in general terms, treaties cannot be ended unilaterally in this way,&rdquo; he said. India announced a unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty last year following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the time condemned the move as &ldquo;unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible, and devoid of legal merit.&rdquo; On a separate application filed by Pakistan, the Court of Arbitration (CoA) in The Hague ruled that &ldquo;it was not open to India to take unilateral action to suspend these proceedings.&rdquo; Pakistan has maintained that it will continue to &ldquo;fully participate&rdquo; in the Neutral Expert proceedings related to India&rsquo;s move to place the treaty in abeyance, despite New Delhi&rsquo;s decision to halt its participation. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, &ldquo;the Neutral Expert has ruled that India&rsquo;s non-participation could not operate as a bar to the proceedings going forward.&rdquo; Subsequently, the Court of Arbitration confirmed that it would continue to conduct the proceedings under the Indus Waters Treaty framework.

India

In an interview, Pakistan’s IWT commissioner says the treaty remains fully enforced, cannot be suspended unilaterally, and stays in force unless jointly modified or terminated.

Indus Waters Treaty ‘fully enforced’, unilateral suspension invalid: Pakistan commissioner

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday rejected the &ldquo;irresponsible assertions&rdquo; made by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, saying that New Delhi was again seeking to &ldquo;deflect attention from its own troubling record as a neighbor that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.&rdquo; Although Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs&rsquo; press release did not make a specific mention of the remarks by the Indian minister, its censure came after Indian media reported Jaishankar as saying on Friday that New Delhi had a right to defend itself against terrorism while talking about &ldquo;bad neighbors.&rdquo; &ldquo;You can also have bad neighbors &hellip; unfortunately, we do. When you have bad neighbors &hellip; if you look to the one to the West &mdash; if a country decides that they will deliberately, persistently, unrepentantly continue with terrorism, we have a right to defend our people against terrorism,&rdquo; Jaishankar was quoted as saying by Indian media. Speaking in reference to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the Indian external affairs minister said: &ldquo;Many years ago we agreed to a water-sharing arrangement &mdash; the belief was it was gesture of goodwill &mdash; because of good neighborliness we were doing it &hellip; but if you have decades of terrorism there is no good neighborliness and you don&rsquo;t get the benefit of good neighborliness.&rdquo; In response to media queries regarding remarks made by the Indian Minister of External Affairs about Pakistan, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tahir Andrabi, stated: &ldquo;Pakistan firmly rejects the irresponsible assertions made by the Indian External Affairs Minister. Once again, India seeks to deflect attention from its own troubling record as a neighbor that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 875px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007347186431078670&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b7c3715df63b46b2e18cb457e1c44c887d4d1889&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Andrabi said, &ldquo;India&rsquo;s documented involvement in promoting terrorist activities in the region, particularly in Pakistan, is well known.&rdquo; &ldquo;The case of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav remains a stark example of organized, state-sponsored terrorism directed against Pakistan.&rdquo; Andrabi said, &ldquo;equally concerning are recurring instances of extraterritorial killings, sabotage through proxies, and covert support to terrorist networks.&rdquo; &ldquo;This pattern is consistent with the extremist ideology of Hindutva and its violent proponents,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. Andrabi further underlined that &ldquo;India continues its illegal and violent military occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to extend full political, moral, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle to realize their right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.&rdquo; The IWT is &ldquo;an international agreement concluded in good faith and at considerable cost.&rdquo; &ldquo;Any unilateral violation of the Treaty by India would undermine regional stability and call into question its credibility as a state that claims to respect international legal obligations. Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights under the Treaty,&rdquo; Andrabi said.

Pakistan rejects remarks by Indian External Affairs Minister, calling them ‘irresponsible’; says India seeks to deflect attention from its own troubling record as a neighbor that promotes terrorism.

Pakistan rejects Jaishankar’s ‘irresponsible assertions’, warns against Indus treaty violations

ISLAMABAD: India has approved the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), a move that violates the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which governs water sharing between Pakistan and India.&nbsp;The construction on the project, estimated to cost about 327.7 billion Indian rupees (about $3.65 billion), is expected to begin early next year and will be developed by India&rsquo;s state-run &nbsp;National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited. It is designed to generate 260 megawatts of electricity, according to Indian media reports. &#39;Flagrant violation&#39; Pakistani lawmaker Sherry Rehman raised strong objections, saying the project breaches treaty provisions covering the western rivers &mdash; the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab &mdash; allocated largely to Pakistan under the World Bank-brokered agreement.&nbsp;Rehman, Pakistan&rsquo;s former climate change minister, said India&rsquo;s decision amounted to a &ldquo;flagrant violation&rdquo; of the treaty.&nbsp;&ldquo;The IWT&nbsp;cannot be unilaterally revoked, as recent UN rapporteurs have also confirmed,&rdquo; she said in remarks posted on X. &ldquo;Pakistan has control over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej fall under India&rsquo;s control.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 635px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005509781063373054&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3111%2F&sessionId=6aea73df3a5fbbfbca8118eceaa43cf257cf59db&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Rehman said India was fast-tracking several disputed hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin following what Pakistan describes as an illegal suspension of treaty mechanisms. She listed Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru and Kirthai-1 and 2 among the projects, adding that Dulhasti Stage-II was part of the same strategy. &#39;Weaponization of water&#39;She warned the &ldquo;weaponization of water&rdquo; would deepen tensions in an already strained bilateral relationship. &ldquo;This is neither sane nor acceptable in a region on the frontlines of climate change and environmental stress,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;The approval comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors over disputed Kashmir. Pakistan has said it remains committed to the Indus Waters Treaty and will continue to participate in dispute-resolution mechanisms, including proceedings before neutral experts. In August, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for Pakistan&rsquo;s use, according to Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office.&nbsp;Dulhasti Stage-II will use existing infrastructure from the 390-MW Dulhasti Stage-I plant, commissioned in 2007. Under the plan, water from the Marusudar River will be diverted through the Pakal Dul project to boost power generation, a move Indian authority have acknowledged could alter natural river flows downstream.&nbsp;India maintains that its hydropower projects comply with treaty provisions and has sought changes to streamline approval procedures. The treaty does not allow either country to unilaterally suspend or terminate the agreement.

Indian media says the construction on the project is expected to begin early next year and will be developed by India’s state-run NHPC Limited.

Articles tagged with "Indus Waters Treaty"