IWT violations by India spark human rights concerns, calls grow for World Bank intervention

In blatant defiance of international law and binding bilateral commitments, India’s decision to hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance stands exposed as a calculated assault and deeply hostile act that amounts to weaponizing water to engineer widespread hunger, food crisis and economic destabilization in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Mar, 2026) In blatant defiance of international law and binding bilateral commitments, India’s decision to hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance stands exposed as a calculated assault and deeply hostile act that amounts to weaponizing water to engineer widespread hunger, food crisis and economic destabilization in Pakistan.

This reckless move by Hinduvata Indian regime is not merely a policy shift rather it is a deliberate attempt to cut Pakistan’s water lifeline.

By undermining the internationaly recognized treaty, India has directly endangered Pakistan’s agriculture, energy and livestock sectors particularly in Punjab and Azad Kashmir while advancing RSS dangerous agenda aimed at crippling food production and triggering long-term food insecurity in Pakistan.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Naeem of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, termed the unilateral suspension of the IWT by India last year was a grave violation of international treaties, norms and agreements, arguing that such illegal actions fall within the ambit of crimes against humanity under an established global conventions and laws.

Dr Naeem said Pakistan’s agricultural backbone sustained by the Indus Basin irrigation system is largely depends on the western rivers waters for over 80% of its needs.

"Any disruption in flows from the western rivers, whose rights are unequivocally guaranteed to Pakistan under the historic treaty signed by President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960, is nothing short of economic and agriculture sabotage."

He said reduced water access directly translates into lower yields of critical crops such as wheat, rice, and cotton, risking food supplies and export stability in the region.

"The implications of repeated IWT violations by India are severe and immediate. With 80% of cultivated land and 90% of irrigation tied to the Indus system in Pakistan, the artificial restriction of water by fascist Modi Govt are likely to hit hardest agriculture and livestock sectors in Sindh and South Punjab in terms of water scarcity and desertification, exposing millions of people, livestock, bees population to starvation besides creating energy crisis in Pakistan."

Dr Naeem said these thickly populated areas, already battling climate stress, drought and creeping desertification, face the very real threat designed by conspirators to turn fertile land of Pakistan into barren wasteland.

He said agriculture contributes roughly 23% to Pakistan’s GDP and employs nearly 38% of its workforce. "Disrupting water flows of western rivers is therefore not just a water issue rather than an economic assault that will inflate food prices, deepen rural poverty, and push millions toward starvation and food deprivation.

He said Punjab alone produces the bulk of Pakistan’s wheat with over 20 million metric tons annually, adding any interference or restricting water ahead of wheat harvesting could likely harm national output.

Dr Naeem said a serious human rights issue has been emerged after IWT violations by India that went against World Bank's guarantee.

Compounding the IWT crisis is India’s reported withholding of hydrological data, a move that likely to affect Pakistan’s ability to manage floods and droughts, may further amplifying food instability and expose millions of people to hunger and starvation amid regional escalations.

He said that the forced shift toward groundwater extraction may accelerate aquifer depletion and land salinity, especially in Punjab and Sindh provinces by creating a slow-burning environmental disaster with irreversible consequences for living creatures including humans, wildlife and bees population.

Dr. Naeem further emphasized that India’s ill strategy reflects a dangerous precedent of using weaponizing water as a geopolitical tool. However, he maintained that such coercive tactics by RSS backed Modi Govt will ultimately fail.

On the domestic front, Pakistan is accelerating efforts to mitigate the water threat through major infrastructure projects such as the Mohmand, Dasu, and Diamer-Bhasha dams, aimed at enhancing water storage and energy generation for people and agriculture needs.

Experts also stressed the urgent need to expand small dam projects, particularly in northern regions, as a faster and more cost-effective buffer against external pressures.

Dr. Zahid Anwar of Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar, described the IWT violations by RSS backed Modi known as butcher of Gujrat as an aggressive attempt to push millions of people into hunger in Pakistan.

He warned that reducing water availability in Sindh, Jehlum and Chanab rivers will inevitably increase malnutrition, particularly among children and lactating mothers in Pakistan, turning this into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.

The Indus Basin supports over 240 million people and constitutes one of the largest contiguous irrigation systems in the world and water flow in it was essential for prosperity of people.

For over six decades, he said the treaty has ensured predictable and equitable water distribution. Its unilateral suspension is therefore not just illegal but it is dangerously destabilizing the entire region.

Dr. Zahid Anwar underscored that the issue transcends politics and enters the realm of human rights. He called on the World Bank, the treaty’s guarantor, to fulfill its responsibility and compel India to reverse its unlawful and provocative decision.

He reiterated that if such precedents as trumpeted by India are normalized today, than upstream countries like China could adopt similar measures, potentially turning water into a global instrument of coercion and India will suffer badly.

He said Pakistan maintains that the treaty remains legally binding and cannot be suspended unilaterally, which is a position reinforced by the ruling of Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Experts insisted that India’s reported illegal actions, including unannounced water flow disruptions and withholding of critical data since last year, constitute serious violations that must not go unchecked.

The international community especially world bank now faces a defining test following Modi Govt illegal actions to ensure IWT remains intact.

He added that silence or inaction will only embolden further violations and will put peace of subcontinent into jeopardy.

The experts said there is an urgent need to move beyond political and economic considerations and hold India accountable for its illegal action.

Great responsibilities rest on the World Bank to press India to ensure immediate compliance with international obligations and safeguarding the water rights of Pakistan.

APP/fam