India's unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has endangered regional peace and security, according to speakers at an international seminar in Islamabad. The move is not only in contravention of international law but also violates the rights of Pakistan as a lower riparian state, they said.
International Law and Treaty Violations
Pakistan's civil society, jurisprudents, diplomats, and legislators have called for censuring New Delhi and making it abide by the conventions of peaceful coexistence. The seminar highlighted that India's repudiation of the treaty necessitates a collective response from the international community, especially international arbitration institutions, to ensure water is not used as a weapon of coercion.
World Bank President Ajay Banga seconded Islamabad's stance, terming Delhi's move ultra vires. He stated that the treaty contains no provisions for unilateral suspension or pause. Similarly, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Pakistan's position regarding maximum pondage limits is rational, and that India's current policy of constructing hydroelectric projects on the western rivers is illegal.
Legal and Ethical Dimensions
With India found on the wrong side of both law and ethics, the seminar urged Pakistan to flag India's water terrorism and raise the cost of non-compliance under international law. The way forward, according to participants, is to properly sequence and calibrate all available lawfare options at forums like the UN General Assembly, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Human Rights Council.
Both the Indus Waters Treaty and customary international law point toward cooperative sharing of river waters, which, in a climate change-induced environment of water scarcity, is the guarantor of human security and peace in South Asia. India's water intransigence was described as inhumane, callous, and dangerous, with unilateral modification of watercourses seen as a precursor to collective ecological destruction in the region.
