Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar asserting that no country can unilaterally suspend or terminate the agreement. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Dar said the 1960 treaty remains "valid, binding and operative" despite India's decision to put it in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in April last year as part of a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people.
Addressing a seminar on the treaty in Islamabad, Dar rejected India's decision, saying the agreement "remains valid, binding and operative."
"No party can unilaterally suspend or terminate its obligations under a treaty that contains no such provision," Dar claimed.
According to Radio Pakistan, the deputy prime minister said the Indus Waters Treaty is not merely a water-sharing arrangement but also a "vital instrument of regional peace, stability and cooperation."
He further said the shared rivers "must remain a bridge between nations, guided by cooperation, dialogue and respect for international law for the benefit of present and future generations."
Dar also claimed that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of the waters "rightfully allocated" to it would have "profound consequences" for regional peace and security.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations, with the objective of regulating the sharing and management of the cross-border river system between India and Pakistan.