Pakistan Rejects India’s Claims Over Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan has dismissed India's claims regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), maintaining that the agreement remains legally enforceable and cannot be suspended or terminated through unilateral action. Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh of Pakistan's embassy in the United States penned this viewpoint in an article for Newsweek. Sheikh dismissed India's characterization of the treaty as unfair or one-sided.

He noted that India has intensified this stance since announcing in April 2025 its intention to "hold the treaty in abeyance." According to the ambassador, this step lacks any foundation in the treaty or international law.

Sheikh emphasized that the IWT was signed on September 19, 1960, after a decade-long negotiation facilitated by the World Bank. He stressed that the treaty represents a negotiated international settlement rather than a concession made by India to Pakistan. Sheikh also rejected allegations that Pakistan has obstructed India's hydropower development.

He pointed out that Pakistan has employed the dispute-resolution process provided under Article IX of the treaty. He reiterated that this process grants Pakistan the right to challenge India's hydropower projects, but does not equate to blocking them. Sheikh argued that India cannot utilize treaty provisions that permit hydropower development while disregarding the technical constraints and dispute-resolution rules outlined within the same agreement.

The ambassador reiterated that the treaty does not permit either country to unilaterally suspend, terminate, or place the IWT in abeyance. He affirmed Pakistan's commitment to adhering to the treaty's letter and spirit. Sheikh appealed to India to rescind its unilateral actions, reinstate full compliance with its treaty obligations, and resolve disputes through the institutional and dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.