Water is life, and whoever controls water controls everything. This maxim rings with chilling urgency today as Modi’s India weaponizes the Indus waters against Pakistan. It threatens not only bilateral relations but regional peace and global stability. New Delhi pointed fingers at Islamabad without even providing a shred of credible evidence. India used the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to unleash economic aggression by putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. This unilateral and illegal action is a direct violation of international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, which mandates that treaties must be performed in good faith. The IWT is not just a water-sharing agreement; it is the lifeblood of millions of Pakistanis. Over 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture – the backbone of its economy – depends on the waters of the Indus river system. By disrupting this flow, India is not merely threatening Pakistan’s economy; it is threatening its very survival. Make no mistake: Pakistan views India’s holding of the IWT in abeyance as an existential threat, tantamount to a declaration of war. It is an act of economic terrorism, a dangerous precedent of weaponizing water to achieve political aims. Such actions are not only hostile but flagrantly defy the international order. The global community must recognize the gravity of this escalation before it spirals into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
Legally, India’s suspension of the IWT has no ground. The Vienna Convention explicitly outlines in Articles 42 and 57 that treaties can only be suspended in conformity with the treaty’s provisions or by mutual consent after due consultation. The IWT contains no clause allowing suspension, nor did India consult Pakistan before announcing its reckless move. Moreover, Article 60 of the Vienna Convention provides suspension only when the other party has breached the treaty. By acting unilaterally, India has not only undermined the sanctity of the IWT but has also set a dangerous international precedent. If left unchallenged, it signals to the world that international agreements can be tossed aside at the whims of strongmen regimes.
The international community must not wait for the situation to spiral into conflict.
Pakistan has made it clear: it will use every diplomatic, legal, and strategic tool at its disposal to ensure the full restoration of the IWT. This is not mere rhetoric – it is a matter of national survival. The National Security Committee of Pakistan has already announced counter-measures that are entirely legitimate under international law. Pakistan is not alone in this fight. It has the right – and the responsibility – to bring this issue to international forums. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the UN Security Council has the authority to examine matters that threaten global peace. The suspension of the IWT is not a narrow bilateral dispute; it is a transboundary issue that affects food security, human survival, and ecological stability across South Asia.
Furthermore, Pakistan can invoke the P5 (the five permanent members of the Security Council), who in 1998 undertook to intervene if peace was threatened between the two nuclear-armed rivals. It is time to remind these global powers of their obligations. At its core, this crisis raises a fundamental moral question: is water a human right or a bargaining chip? India’s actions suggest the latter. By holding a vital resource hostage to geopolitical manoeuvring, India has crossed a dangerous line. The international community must intervene before millions are pushed to the brink of water scarcity, famine, and social unrest.
Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to peace and dialogue. But peace cannot be one-sided. While Islamabad extends an olive branch, it also reserves the right to defend its national interests and its people’s survival. Pakistan will not accept water terrorism. It will defend its water rights – and its national integrity – at all costs.
India’s abrogation of the IWT is not just an attack on Pakistan; it is an attack on the world order. It threatens to unleash a chain reaction of regional instability with catastrophic consequences. The international community must not wait for the situation to spiral into conflict. The time to act is now. Unilateral moves cannot alter international treaties. It is dialogue, not disruption that leads to harmony in South Asia. Water is a shared resource, not a tool for hostility. India’s unlawful suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty marks a dangerous escalation that must be undone. While Pakistan may bear the immediate brunt of India’s aggression, the true victim here is international law and the fragile peace of an already tense region. The global community now has a responsibility to uphold justice, ensure treaty compliance and avert a looming humanitarian and ecological disaster in South Asia.
The writer is an alumnus of QAU, MPhil scholar and a freelance columnist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at fa7263125 @gmail.com