Islamabad: Tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty prompted Pakistan to call Tuesday for a binding global covenant on shared rivers. The government said unilateral upstream action could threaten downstream countries worldwide.
The appeal came at an international conference in Islamabad on the 1960 treaty. Pakistan says India placed the World Bank-brokered agreement “in abeyance” after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement. Moreover, it says the treaty cannot be suspended unilaterally.
Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik said the dispute was not Pakistan’s case alone. Instead, it is a test for the water rights of billions of people living downstream.
The treaty gives India unrestricted use of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers, while allocating most waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan. There are also limited permitted uses for India.
Read: Pakistan Wins Ruling in The Hague Over Indus Waters Dispute with India
Tarar said the Indus River remained a lifeline for more than 240 million Pakistanis. It also underpinned the country’s agriculture, economy and livelihoods.
The conference brought together Pakistani and international policymakers, legal experts and water specialists to discuss the treaty’s legal framework. In addition, they discussed regional security implications and climate-linked pressures on transboundary water management.
