ISLAMABAD, Jun 24 (Alliance News): The United Nations has emphasized the importance of sharing natural resources under mutually agreed treaties, following inflammatory remarks by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who declared that India would never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
Responding to a reporter’s question at the daily press briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “I haven’t seen that particular (statement), but, obviously, it is critical that natural resources be shared based on mutually accepted treaties.”
His remarks came in the wake of Amit Shah’s interview with The Times of India, in which the senior Indian minister stated that water from rivers flowing into Pakistan would now be diverted to Rajasthan via a newly constructed canal, declaring: “No, it (the treaty) will never be restored.”
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, is a landmark water-sharing agreement that gives Pakistan access to the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab), while India controls the eastern ones (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej). It provides water for over 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture and has survived several wars between the two neighbors.
India suspended its participation in the treaty after an attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 civilians—a strike New Delhi labeled a terrorist act. Pakistan denied any involvement.
Although a ceasefire facilitated by US President Donald Trump ended the military flare-up, India’s withdrawal from the IWT has not been reversed.
Reacting strongly to Shah’s comments, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan issued a statement calling the remarks a “blatant breach of international law and a dangerous precedent.”
“The statement reflects a brazen disregard for the sanctity of international agreements and reveals India’s willingness to politicize water, a basic human right,” Khan said.
Addressing a National Assembly session in Islamabad on Monday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who led Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts abroad to counter India’s narrative, labeled the suspension of the treaty illegal.
“Threatening to block Pakistan’s water violates the UN Charter and sets a perilous precedent in international relations,” Bilawal warned. “If India acts on these threats, Pakistan will be forced to respond decisively. Our air force has defeated India before and will do so again if the situation demands.”
The escalating rhetoric has drawn concern from the international community, as the IWT is widely regarded as a cornerstone of water cooperation and peacebuilding between Pakistan and India. Analysts warn that scrapping it could plunge the region into environmental and geopolitical chaos, with disastrous consequences for millions of people dependent on the Indus River system.
Observers note that the UN’s call for adherence to treaties underlines the potential global ramifications of violating the IWT. With climate change intensifying water stress in South Asia, the importance of cooperative frameworks like the IWT has never been greater.
