Tarar warns India's unilateral actions on IWT may have implications for water governance globally

Tarar warns India's unilateral actions on IWT may have implications for water governance globally

Information Minister Atahullah Tarar on Wednesday warned that India’s holding of the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance could have implications for global transboundary water governance, urging the international community to note the “wider precedent”. India unilaterally suspended the accord in April last year — a move that was followed by a brief military conflict between the two sides in May 2025. He made the remarks while addressing an event in Islamabad. “We are a peaceful nation, but we cannot allow India to weaponise water because it is the basic right of the 240 million people of Pakistan,” Tarar said, drawing attention to the “wider precedent involved”. “If a state can unilaterally put a binding international water treaty in abeyance despite established dispute resolution mechanisms, the implications extend to transboundary water governance across the world,” Tarar warned, adding that it may have implications for countries sharing water under similar frameworks. Tarar reiterated that Pakistan will continue to engage the international community and defend the country’s vital national interests. More to follow.