Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, on Tuesday described the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as a matter of national security, warning that any disruption to the agreement threatens the country’s water security, economy and regional stability.
Speaking at a seminar in Islamabad on the legal and constitutional framework of the Indus Waters Treaty, Shah said that Pakistan’s dependence on the Indus Basin makes water security inseparable from national security.
“When the lives and livelihoods of more than 240 million people are tied to the Indus Basin, when over 80 percent of Pakistan’s arable land depends on these waters, and agriculture contributes nearly one-quarter of GDP and one-third of employment, water uncertainty becomes national uncertainty,” he said.
He stressed that river flow prediction is no longer merely a planning tool but part of the country’s survival strategy.
Indus Waters Treaty Designed to Prevent Conflict
The commissioner described the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty as a conflict prevention mechanism rather than simply a water-sharing agreement.
He said the treaty legally allocated the eastern rivers to India while granting Pakistan rights over the western rivers, with India’s use restricted to clearly defined treaty exceptions.
“Pakistan rebuilt its irrigation system and national water economy on the assurance that the western rivers would continue to flow. The treaty is not a favour; it is a binding international settlement,” Shah said.
According to Shah, the treaty functions through four essential pillars:
- Allocation of river waters
- Cooperation through data sharing and inspections
- The Permanent Indus Commission
- A structured dispute resolution mechanism
Removing any one of these elements, he warned, weakens the treaty’s ability to prevent conflict.
India’s Suspension of Treaty Raises Concerns
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the 2025 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, an incident for which New Delhi blamed Pakistan. Islamabad rejected the allegations and called for an independent international investigation.
Shah argued that suspending treaty mechanisms threatens regional stability.
“Abeyance is not a diplomatic slogan; it is an attempt to disable the stabilising architecture of the treaty.”
He noted that despite India’s position, Pakistan has continued fulfilling its treaty obligations by providing hydrological data, requesting inspections and seeking meetings under the agreement.
However, he said India has not responded to multiple official communications.
“The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission was held in May 2022, while monthly hydrological data has remained outstanding since August 2023,” he said.
Court of Arbitration Reaffirmed Treaty
The commissioner said the Court of Arbitration had reaffirmed the legal standing of the treaty through awards issued in 2025 and May 2026.
According to Shah, the court confirmed four key legal principles:
- India’s absence does not halt arbitration proceedings.
- Declaring the treaty in abeyance does not remove the court’s jurisdiction.
- Arbitration awards remain final and binding.
- India must allow the western rivers to flow subject only to treaty exceptions.
He said these findings reflected the treaty’s legal framework rather than Pakistan’s political position.
Pakistan Raises Chenab River Flow Concerns
Shah also revealed that Pakistan had once again written to India regarding significant fluctuations in the Chenab River’s water flow.
He said the latest communication marked the fourth such protest since April last year, warning that unexplained changes in river flows create operational and strategic risks.
“Hydrological information is not a diplomatic courtesy; it is an operational necessity.”
Without timely data, he said, Pakistan’s ability to forecast floods, manage reservoirs and verify upstream operations is significantly weakened.
Information Minister Calls Water an Inalienable Right
Addressing the seminar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s 240 million people have an inalienable right to the waters of the Indus River system.
He described the Indus Waters Treaty as both a legal agreement and a pillar of regional peace.
“The Indus has given life to Pakistan. Water is not merely a resource; it is a matter of our survival,” Tarar said.
The minister stressed that the treaty, signed in 1960 under the auspices of the World Bank, has survived wars and decades of political tensions because it is based on internationally recognised legal principles.
Pakistan Rejects Unilateral Suspension
Tarar maintained that the treaty cannot be amended, suspended or revoked by one party alone.
He said Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership had made it clear that any attempt to stop Pakistan’s share of water would be resisted.
“The Indus Waters Treaty was concluded through mutual agreement, and any amendment requires mutual consent. No country can unilaterally place the treaty in abeyance,” he said.
He further argued that efforts to weaponise water undermine regional peace and international law.
Climate Change Makes Cooperation More Critical
The minister also warned that climate change, melting glaciers and increasing water scarcity have made regional cooperation more important than ever.
He urged South Asian countries to treat water as a means of cooperation rather than confrontation.
“Rivers do not divide civilizations; they connect them. Respect for international agreements remains essential for regional peace, stability and confidence among nations,” Tarar concluded.
