Overview
- Acting UN envoy Usman Jadoon told a Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable in New York that India’s April 2025 decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance has created an unprecedented crisis for Pakistan’s water and regional stability.
- Jadoon asserted the 1960 treaty remains legally intact and cannot be suspended unilaterally, urging respect for international water law in the lead‑up to the 2026 UN Water Conference.
- Pakistan alleged unannounced downstream disruptions and data withholding, citing a December 10–16 Chenab anomaly where flows reportedly fell to 870 cusecs versus a 10‑year minimum range of roughly 4,018–4,406 cusecs, alongside satellite observations near Baglihar.
- New Delhi placed cooperation under the treaty on hold after the Pahalgam attack and has linked any revival to Pakistan taking irreversible action against terrorism, a position reiterated across Indian statements and coverage.
- Pakistan highlighted its downstream vulnerability as the Indus basin supplies over 80% of its agricultural water for more than 240 million people, while it pursues diplomatic, legal and resilience efforts such as Living Indus and Recharge Pakistan.