India Violated International Law by Suspending Indus Treaty: Pakistan

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has said that India’s unilateral decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance constitutes a grave violation of international legal obligations, with far-reaching humanitarian, environmental, and peace and security implications.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan organized an “Arria-formula” meeting of the United Nations Security Council under the theme “Upholding the Sanctity of Treaties for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.”

In addition to members of the Security Council, the meeting was attended by member states from different regions of the world.

A distinguished panel of experts briefed the meeting, including Mr. David Nanopoulos, Chief of the Treaties Section at the UN Office of Legal Affairs; Justice (R) Ahmer Bilal Soofi, President of the Research Society of International Law and former Federal Law Minister of Pakistan; Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President of the International Peace Institute and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Professor Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University.

According to the statement, the speakers emphasized that treaties are legally binding instruments and provide stabilizing frameworks, particularly for the management of shared natural resources, border-related issues, and transboundary challenges.

Referring to historical and contemporary examples, including the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the speakers warned that weakening international law could pose serious risks to collective security.

Addressing the meeting, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad recalled the August 2025 decision of the Court of Arbitration, noting that the rulings reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force and that its dispute-settlement mechanisms are legally binding.

He cautioned that undermining such treaties could set a dangerous precedent for agreements governing shared resources, borders, and confidence-building measures worldwide.

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Participating member states also reaffirmed the central role of treaties as instruments of stability and conflict prevention, while highlighting the preventive role of the United Nations—particularly the Security Council, the Secretary-General, and the International Court of Justice—in safeguarding treaty compliance and reinforcing the international rule of law.

The Security Council meeting organized by Pakistan was widely welcomed as a timely and substantive contribution to global efforts to strengthen the rule of law in international relations and prevent the erosion of treaty-based cooperation.