'Every World Order Will Collapse If Indus Waters Treaty Is Not Upheld': Pakistan Hosts Conference, Urges India To Restore Water Pact

Amid mounting concerns over water security and an intensifying summer, Pakistan renewed its appeal to India to restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) during an international conference in Islamabad, with senior leaders warning that the suspension of the decades-old agreement could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability.

The conference, titled The Indus Waters Treaty: A Key Instrument for Peace and Regional Stability, was held as Pakistan continues to oppose India's decision to place the 1960 treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, in which 26 civilians were killed.

The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the sharing of the waters of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan since 1960.

Every World Order Will Collapse if the Treaty Is Not Upheld

Addressing the conference, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the Indus Waters Treaty as a cornerstone of regional peace and urged that water should not be used as a political tool.

Warning of wider implications, Dar said that if international agreements such as the Indus Waters Treaty are not respected, the global rules-based order itself would come under strain.

He further said shared rivers should remain "a bridge between nations" and cautioned that any disruption to the existing water-sharing arrangement could have profound consequences for regional peace and security.

Pakistan Leaders Call Water Issue a Matter of National Security

Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan's rights over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers must be respected.

Calling the issue an existential challenge, Bilawal said the dispute should not be viewed merely as a technical disagreement but as a matter of national security for Pakistan.

Former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also urged Islamabad to pursue legal and diplomatic options, arguing that the treaty cannot be suspended through unilateral political decisions.

"The treaty endured full-scale wars because both sides recognised its legal sanctity. It is deeply concerning that it is now being challenged not by war, but by unilateral political decisions," she said.

Pakistan Seeks Global Support

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the gathering as the country's first international seminar dedicated to the Indus Waters Treaty, saying it aimed to strengthen Islamabad's case against India's decision.

The conference comes as Pakistan faces growing concerns over water availability during an intense summer, with experts warning that changing weather patterns could further increase pressure on the country's already fragile water resources.

Why India Suspended the Treaty

India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

New Delhi has maintained that "blood and water cannot flow together", asserting that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible action against cross-border terrorism.

The Indian government has also accelerated work on hydropower and water infrastructure projects on the western rivers while withholding certain hydrological data previously shared under the treaty framework.

India has repeatedly maintained that its decision is linked to national security concerns and that any future engagement on the treaty depends on Pakistan taking concrete steps to curb terrorism emanating from its territory.