Indus Waters Treaty Is a Matter of Life and Survival for Pakistan: Tarar

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said the Indus Waters Treaty is directly linked to the lives and survival of the Pakistani people, stressing that the agreement cannot be unilaterally suspended.

Speaking at the launch of a special report in Islamabad examining the historical, legal and strategic dimensions of the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Tarar said the agreement was not merely a piece of paper but a binding international arrangement.

He said once an international treaty is concluded, its implementation becomes binding on the parties. Pakistan maintains that the treaty contains no provision allowing either side to unilaterally suspend or place it in abeyance.

Tarar said international legal proceedings had also supported Pakistan’s position on the continued operation of the treaty. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in August that the Indus Waters Treaty remained in force and that India was required to observe its obligations under the agreement. India rejected the court’s jurisdiction and said the ruling would not affect its sovereign decisions.

The federal minister said Pakistan had raised the issue through diplomatic channels and would continue to pursue its position through legal and diplomatic forums.

He stressed that the Indus Waters Treaty has played an important role in regional stability and said Pakistan would not accept the use of water as an instrument of pressure. According to Tarar, water is directly connected with Pakistan’s agriculture, economy and the daily lives of its people.

Tarar also referred to Pakistan’s losses in the fight against terrorism, saying the country had sacrificed thousands of lives and suffered billions of dollars in economic losses.

He said Pakistan wants peace but cannot accept measures that turn water resources into a tool of coercion.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that the treaty remains legally binding. Its position is that Article XII provides for termination only through a duly ratified treaty between the two governments, rather than through unilateral action.