Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad  said that  Pakistan has warned of India’s unilateral actions to undermine the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that pose not only a threat to Pakistan’s water security but also endanger regional peace and global trust in international agreements.

Speaking at a high-level event organized by Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations in collaboration with the Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA) at the UN Headquarters on Friday, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad delivered a powerful address titled “Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan’s Water Crisis: Challenges and the Way Forward.”

“Water security has become one of the defining challenges of our times. For Pakistan, this is an existential reality, one that affects our economy, our society, and the survival of our people,” said Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. He emphasized that the Indus River system remains the lifeline of Pakistan, with nearly 80% of its cultivated land dependent on it.

Ambassador Ahmad expressed deep concern over India’s recent move to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, calling it a “grave violation of international law.” “The Treaty remains legally intact. Recent rulings by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in June and August 2025 reaffirmed its continuing validity and binding dispute-resolution mechanisms.

No party has the authority to unilaterally suspend or abandon this agreement,” he asserted. He warned that undermining the Treaty has far-reaching humanitarian consequences. “The recent floods in Pakistan were compounded by the denial of timely data sharing, a clear treaty obligation. The absence of critical information turned a natural disaster into a humanitarian tragedy,” the Ambassador said.

He strongly denounced the politicization of water, saying, “To treat water as an instrument of political leverage is to deny people their most fundamental human right. Water must never be weaponized. This is Pakistan’s position.” He added that water scarcity in Pakistan directly impacts public health, food security, and the livelihoods of millions, particularly the vulnerable, including women and children.

Ambassador Ahmad further cautioned that India’s actions undermine not just Pakistan’s security, but also the stability of South Asia and the global framework of transboundary water management.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)