Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is preparing to launch international legal proceedings against India following New Delhi’s controversial move to suspend the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, government officials said on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik told Reuters that Pakistan was finalizing a multi-pronged legal strategy, considering at least three avenues to challenge India’s unilateral decision. These include raising the matter before the World Bank — the treaty’s official facilitator — and pursuing cases at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Barrister Aqeel said consultations were nearly complete and a decision on the cases to pursue would be made “soon,” with the possibility of taking action on multiple fronts simultaneously.
“The treaty cannot be suspended unilaterally and cannot be held in abeyance — there is no provision within the treaty,” he asserted.
A fourth diplomatic option under consideration is taking the matter to the United Nations Security Council, he added, underscoring that Islamabad is “pursuing all appropriate and competent forums” to protect its water rights.
New Delhi announced last week it was holding the treaty “in abeyance” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir — an incident it blamed on Pakistan without providing evidence. India linked the suspension to Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism, a charge Islamabad firmly denies.
In retaliation, Pakistan suspended all bilateral trade and closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
While experts note that India cannot immediately alter river flows — as the treaty permits only limited hydropower development without significant storage — concerns persist that gradual changes could severely impact Pakistan’s already water-stressed agricultural sector, particularly amid intensifying climate change impacts.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s legal fraternity has rallied in support of government efforts. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) announced the formation of a dedicated committee to assist Islamabad in defending its rights under the treaty at international forums.
The SCBA committee, chaired by its president and comprising senior lawyers from across the country, emphasized that the Indus Waters Treaty is not only a legal accord but a “lifeline” for Pakistan’s existence and prosperity.
In a statement, the SCBA condemned India’s move as a violation of international law, stressing that the treaty explicitly bars unilateral withdrawal, suspension, or termination by any signatory.
“This unnecessary move is aimed at disrupting the downstream water flow and must be resisted through all available legal and diplomatic channels,” the association said.
The escalating water dispute adds a new dimension to already soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have seen relations deteriorate sharply since the April 22 Pahalgam incident.
