United Nations, Pakistan has termed India’s decision to illegally and unilaterally suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), aiming to impede the flow of water guaranteed to Pakistan under the Treaty, as a grave violation of international law, including human rights law, the treaty law and customary international law.
Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, made these remarks while delivering Pakistan’s statement at the Arria Formula meeting on Protecting Water in Armed Conflict convened by Slovenia.
He said that troubling pronouncements by Indian leadership to “starve the people of Pakistan” depict a highly dangerous and perverse thinking.
“We strongly condemn India’s unlawful announcement to hold the Treaty in abeyance and call 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. We will never accept any such moves,” he stated.
Ambassador Usman Jadoon said that Pakistan lends support to the calls for full compliance with the international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human right laws, especially for protection of water resources and related infrastructure.
He drew the attention of the Council members to the need for formulating a resolute, principled and united stand against all attempts to weaponize water for political purposes.
The Pakistan Deputy UN Ambassador urged the UN Security Council to play a role by identifying situations where violations of international law, including IHL principles could jeopardize peace and security or lead to catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and act preventively.
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, Ambassador Jadoon said that international law, including human rights law and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), 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.
He 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.
