‘Pakistan’s position on IWT needs to be based on international principles’

Islamabad:Sardar Masood Khan, President, Centre for Law and Security (CLAS) underlined that India carefully timed its actions, building a cascade of dams that give it strategic advantage, so Pakistan’s legal position needs to be firmly grounded in international principles.

Mr Masood was speaking at a seminar on “Weaponising water: the Indus Waters Treaty and future of regional stability” jointly organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and Centre for Law and Security (CLAS).

Mr Masood pointed out potential obstacles in bringing India to arbitration, including provisions in the Vienna Convention and India’s ability to avoid ICJ jurisdiction on issues related to Commonwealth nations. He recommended Pakistan to apply pressure through the World Bank, UN Security Council and key powers like the P5. He called for an assertive international campaign, while also urging Pakistan to maximise domestic water efficiency. Ultimately, Pakistan must choose between maintaining the status quo or pursuing a high-risk, proactive approach to safeguard its water future.

Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson, BoG, SDPI, highlighted the crucial link between Kashmir and water, emphasising that Pakistan’s rivers flow through the disputed region. He reminded that Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was not a water-sharing agreement but a river division arrangement heavily influenced by Indian demands. India, he claimed, enjoys uncontested control over the eastern rivers, while seeking to maximise its use of the western ones while ignoring Treaty constraints.

He dismissed the claim that Pakistan opposes all Indian projects and pointed to India’s non-compliance with the Court of Arbitration’s decisions. He recommended activating Article IX of the Treaty to initiate formal dispute resolution and appropriately raising the issue in the UN Security Council. He emphasised preserving the IWT as a legal shield for Pakistan’s water security and promoting sustained international diplomacy.