UNITED NATIONS, June 24 — The United Nations has called for adherence to international agreements on resource sharing, following a stark declaration by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah that New Delhi will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, reported by APP.
Speaking at a press briefing in New York on Monday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed the importance of honoring treaties that govern the equitable use of natural resources. “It is critical that natural resources be shared based on mutually accepted treaties,” Dujarric said, when asked about Shah’s remarks.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has long served as a rare pillar of cooperation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. It governs the use of six rivers in the Indus basin and guarantees Pakistan access to waters critical for its agriculture — nearly 80% of its irrigated land.
However, India suspended its participation in the IWT earlier this year after a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based militants, though Islamabad strongly denied involvement. Despite a ceasefire later brokered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, the treaty remains in abeyance.
In a weekend interview with The Times of India, Shah doubled down on India’s position. “We will take the water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal,” he said. “No, it [the treaty] will never be restored.”
Pakistan has condemned India’s move as a violation of international law and a threat to regional water security. Analysts warn that the breakdown of the treaty — one of the world’s most successful water-sharing agreements — could deepen mistrust and destabilize an already volatile South Asia.
As tensions simmer, the UN’s statement serves as a subtle but firm reminder: even amid political fury, treaties remain the bedrock of international order.
