Pakistan has termed India’s decision to illegally and unilaterally suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty as a grave violation of international law, including human rights law, the treaty law and customary international law.
These remarks were made by Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Ambassador Usman Jadoon at the Arria Formula meeting on Protecting Water in Armed Conflict convened by Slovenia.
The Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations strongly condemned India’s unlawful announcement to hold the Treaty in abeyance and called upon India to strictly abide by its legal obligations and refrain from stopping, diverting or restricting rivers that are a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan as we will never accept any such moves.
Referring to the regional and inter-state conflicts including attacks against freshwater resources and its related infrastructure, which aim to render them unfit for use and measures to impede access to water resources, he made three significant points:
Firstly, the Ambassador said that international law, including human rights law and International Humanitarian Law clearly prohibits attacks on water resources and related infrastructure. He said that denying access to these resources violates established norms and UNSC resolutions.
Secondly, highlighting obligations of the parties, he stated that all parties in a conflict are bound by IHL and must avoid actions with severe humanitarian consequences.
Usman Jadoon also warned against using water as a weapon in conflict or for political gains, arguing that doing so threatens regional peace and security, especially when millions rely on water for survival.
He said that it is regrettable that one country, exhibiting malevolent designs, has chosen to weaponize water in addition to using it as a bargain chip.
