PESHAWAR
\nThe illegal abeyance of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by Hinduvata Indian regime has shaken the World Bank backed accord signed by President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960.
\n\u201cThe illegal suspension of IWT by India has raised serious questions regarding powers and influence of the World Bank as PM Modi unilateral action was beyond of the top bank guarantee,\u201d said Professor Dr. A.H Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science Department at University of Peshawar while talking to APP on Monday.
\nStrongly condemning India\u2019s unilateral decision to hold IWT in abeyance, he said that it was a test case for World Bank-brokered agreement to force India to immediately reverse its decision or in future no country will accept the bank\u2019s framework of guarantees,\u201d said Dr Hilali.
\nHe said the illegal step could undermine established dispute-resolution mechanisms and regional stability besides creating escalation in the already stressed security environment, especially in the Middle East.
\nThe landmark treaty has long been regarded as a model of water-sharing cooperation between the two neighboring countries, having remained intact despite decades of political tensions and armed conflicts between the two countries.
\nInternational law expert and senior advocate supreme court, Asif Yousafzai said India has lost all legal grounds after historic ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. He said the International Court\u2019s ruling has reaffirmed the binding nature of the Treaty\u2019s design and operational provisions and declared India\u2019s move illegal. He said the international court has clearly ruled that IWT are still in force and no country can suspend or hold it in abeyance unilaterally.
\nHe argued that any withdrawal from or suspension of the Treaty framework could weaken confidence in international agreements and legal commitments besides further exposed negative designs of the fascist Modi regime against Pakistan.
\nYousafzai said the unilateral measures affecting the Treaty pose challenges to its core principles and broader norms of international law. IWT includes established mechanisms such as the Permanent Indus Commission, neutral experts, and arbitration procedures designed to keep technical disputes separated from political escalation and conflicts.
\nAny disruption in the flow of the western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Treaty could have negative implications for water availability, agriculture, fisheries, bees population and food security in downstream areas of Punjab and Azad Kashmir, framing the matter as both a legal and humanitarian concern.
\nPakistan has pursued dispute resolution through legal and institutional channels, including arbitration and neutral expert processes provided under the Treaty. He maintained that decisions rendered by the PCA remain binding under international law, regardless of participation by either party.
\nIf today India stops Pakistan water being an upper riparian country that in future China could take the same step against India, he said.<\/p>\n
Dr Ejaz Khan, former Chairman International Relations UoP said that the Treaty does not provide for unilateral suspension, and warned that setting such a precedent could have broader implications for other transboundary river agreements worldwide.<\/p>\n
He also stressed that disputes over infrastructure design and water storage can be addressed within the Treaty\u2019s technical framework. The experts condemned recent remarks by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah regarding non restoration of the Treaty, suggesting that the issue should remain within legal and technical parameters rather than becoming politicized.
\nDr Ejaz said BJP leadership was using IWT as a political tool to improve their weakening political image in India after Modi Govt faced crushing defeat from Pakistan in May conflict.
\nHe called upon the international community, particularly the World Bank as guarantor of the Treaty, to force India to adhere to established mechanisms for dispute resolution and accept PCA ruling.
\nAccording to the experts, maintaining compliance with treaty obligations is essential for preserving regional stability and upholding the credibility of international agreements.
\nIWT had endured for more than six decades and is widely cited as a successful example of sustained cooperation over shared water resources and its suspension by India showed its open disregard for international agreements and pacts.
\nObservers argued that continued engagement within its legal framework remains the most viable path to resolving disputes and preventing further escalation in South Asia.
\nHe said the region was already confronted with security challenges and another war between the two nuclear armed countries could further deepen the security crisis in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR The illegal abeyance of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by Hinduvata Indian regime has shaken the World Bank backed accord signed by President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960. \u201cThe illegal suspension of IWT by India has raised serious questions regarding powers and influence of the World Bank as PM […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-534488","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n