US journal backs Pakistan’s stance on India’s Indus Waters Treaty violations

WEB DESK: A leading U.S. foreign policy journal has endorsed Pakistan’s position on India’s alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that the suspension of the landmark agreement could significantly escalate regional tensions and trigger a wider humanitarian crisis in South Asia.

In an analysis, The National Interest said that water politics in the region had entered a dangerous new phase following India’s actions related to the treaty. The journal cautioned that any unilateral suspension or undermining of the agreement would heighten instability between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan.

The article specifically cited India’s Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project as a move inconsistent with the treaty’s framework. It argued that New Delhi was increasingly treating water as a strategic tool, a shift that could have serious consequences for downstream countries.

According to the journal, withholding hydrological data, a key obligation under the treaty, constitutes a violation of international law. It noted that the Permanent Court of Arbitration has already clarified that India cannot unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.

The National Interest stressed that the treaty remains a cornerstone of food security in South Asia and that, under international legal obligations, India must continue to ensure the flow of water from the western rivers to Pakistan.

The journal concluded that attempts to weaponise water are unacceptable under international law and would likely face rejection by global courts, warning that prolonged disputes over water could evolve into a major human security threat for the region.