India can’t disown Indus Waters Treaty: Mushahid

ISLAMABAD: Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said on Wednesday that India “cannot abrogate or disown” the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), asserting that “law is on our side, justice is on our side, and geography is on our side.”

Speaking at a seminar held at COMSTECH Auditorium in Islamabad, the veteran lawmaker warned that India’s attempt to unilaterally suspend the treaty was both legally untenable and diplomatically dangerous.

Citing recent global reactions, Mushahid said Pakistan’s military response to Indian aggression had earned recognition in both Russia and China, reflecting growing global disdain for bullying behaviour. “Might is not right. In fact, right is might,” he said, adding that the weaponisation of water was “a crime against humanity” and a reckless blow to regional diplomacy.

The seminar, titled “Water Crisis and the Indus Waters Treaty”, was jointly organised by OIC-COMSTECH, the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR), Hisaar Foundation, and the Panjwani-Hisaar Water Institute (PHWI). It brought together prominent voices from diplomacy, law, environment, and national security to explore the implications of India’s decision to walk away from the 65-year-old water-sharing accord.

In her opening remarks, KCFR Chairperson Nadira Panjwani traced the treaty’s historical relevance, warning that its suspension could destabilise the region. “It’s not just a bilateral issue—it’s a global precedent,” she cautioned.

Zohair Ashir, a member of both the Hisaar Foundation’s Board and the Executive Board of PHWI, said the seminar was crucial at a time of heightened tensions between two nuclear-armed states. “Pakistan must prepare a calculated, strategic response,” he said.

Simi Kamal, water policy expert and co-founder of PHWI, provided a technical analysis of the treaty and the river systems, emphasising the need for an integrated and evidence-based water management framework. She pointed to increasing upstream interventions and climate variability as urgent factors Pakistan must confront.

Environmental lawyer Rafay Alam examined the legal landscape, stressing that Pakistan’s rights under the Indus Waters Treaty remain protected under international law. He suggested that Pakistan could pursue action through the International Court of Justice and other legal forums if India proceeds unilaterally.

Climate expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said that the risks of climate change, when combined with treaty violations, posed an existential threat to Pakistan’s water security. He called for a “comprehensive national water strategy” that aligns with climate resilience planning.

Defence analyst Ikram Sehgal warned that India’s posture on water was part of a broader pattern of regional hostility. “If diplomacy fails, water may very well become the next battlefield,” he cautioned.

In his concluding address, Dr Iqbal Choudhry, Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, emphasized the need for Pakistan to exhaust all diplomatic, legal, and multilateral avenues to defend its water interests. “This is a matter of survival, sovereignty, and strategic foresight,” he said.

The seminar ended with a unanimous call for Pakistan to maintain its legal and moral high ground, strengthen institutional coordination, and prepare for an intensified global campaign to safeguard its water rights.