President Zardari calls on India to restore Indus Waters Treaty

The Nation - President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday called on India to immediately restore full implementation of the Indus Wa­ters Treaty (IWT) in accordance with international obligations. 

In a message on World Water Day, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemna­tion of the unilateral suspension of the treaty by India. “This deliberate weap­onisation of shared water resources is a matter of deep concern.

India’s de­cision to place the treaty in abeyance, disrupt hydrological data-sharing, impede agreed mechanisms and un­dermines both the letter and spirit of a long-standing international agree­ment that has governed equitable shar­ing of the Indus river system for over six decades,” he said. “Such conduct threatens food and economic security, jeopardises the livelihoods of millions who depend on these waters and sets a dangerous precedent for the manage­ment of transboundary resources un­der international law,” he said.

The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — largely to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — to India. In April 2025, India announced a unilateral suspension of its obligations under the IWT follow­ing the attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Is­lamabad without evidence. In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an organisation that provides a frame­work for international disputes — had issued a Supplemental Award of Com­petence, stating that India cannot uni­laterally hold the treaty in abeyance.

Meanwhile, in his message, the pres­ident said that this year, World Water Day drew attention to the theme ‘Wa­ter and Gender’ and highlighted that “water insecurity is not experienced equally”. “Women and girls often carry the heaviest burden when safe water is not available close to home,” he said.

“In many parts of Pakistan, house­holds still rely on distant or unreliable water sources. Women and girls spend long hours each day collecting water, time that could otherwise be spent in school, at work or with their families,” he said. “The absence of safe water also brings health risks and places ad­ditional strain on household life.