UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan's UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has formally raised concerns over India's continued violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the United Nations Security Council. He handed over a letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar to Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres of Colombia, who serves as the president of the Security Council for June.
Letter Highlights Illegal Indian Projects
The letter, issued by the Pakistani mission, draws the urgent attention of the 15-member Council to two illegal Indian infrastructure projects linked to the Chenab River system. These projects are aimed at water diversion, which, according to Pakistan, reveals India's intention to illegally alter the flow and use of the Western Rivers as governed by the Treaty. The letter warns that India is weaponizing water, which has dangerous implications for Pakistan's water, food, and economic security, as well as regional stability and international peace and security.
Background of the Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. It allocates the waters of the Indus River system, with the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) assigned to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. The treaty has survived several conflicts but has been a point of contention in recent years due to Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers.
Pakistan maintains that India's construction of dams and other infrastructure on the Chenab River violates the treaty's provisions, which restrict India from storing or diverting water from the western rivers. The letter emphasizes that these actions are illegal and pose a direct threat to Pakistan's water security.
