ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution denouncing India’s unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) – a cornerstone of peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since 1960.
The lawmakers declared the suspension a “blatant violation of international law” and a provocative “act of war”.
The resolution, moved by Federal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, condemned India’s abrupt abandonment of the treaty that governs the shared use of the Indus River system.
“This House considers India’s unilateral move to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance as a hostile, unlawful act that violates not only the terms of the agreement, but the very principles of peaceful coexistence,” the document declared.
A Threat to Pakistan’s Lifeline
Pakistan, heavily reliant on the Indus River system for agriculture and livelihoods, views any disruption to its water flow as an existential threat.
The resolution urged the government to take immediate diplomatic and legal actions at international forums to challenge India’s move.
Speaking during the session, PPP’s Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani delivered a fiery speech, directly accusing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pushing a confrontational agenda aimed at destabilising the region.
“Modi’s attempt to choke Pakistan’s water supply is not just aggression—it is an open declaration of war,” he warned. “This is not diplomacy; this is a water bomb.”
Terrorism and Treaty: The Twin Fronts
Jakhrani didn’t stop at the treaty. He also condemned the recent terrorist attack in Khuzdar, where a school bus carrying innocent children was targeted, resulting in multiple casualties.
With grief and fury in his voice, he alleged Indian involvement in fomenting unrest within Pakistan’s borders. “First our children, now our rivers- India’s campaign of hybrid warfare is in full swing,” he said.
Muhammad Iqbal Khan of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) joined in, calling on the international community to take immediate notice. He described the treaty as “a lifeline for Pakistan’s survival”, and warned that tampering with it could plunge South Asia into deeper chaos.
“The world must understand, when India toys with the flow of our rivers, it doesn’t just breach a treaty. It threatens peace in an already fragile region,” Khan stated.
Unity in Grief and Defiance
Condemnation of the Khuzdar terrorist attack echoed throughout the House, uniting lawmakers across party lines in sorrow and resolve.
PML-N’s Mian Khan Bugti and JUI-F’s Shahida Begum mourned the lives lost, particularly the innocent schoolchildren, and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.
“This was not just an act of terror,” said Shahida Begum, “it was a strike at the heart of our collective conscience.”
Members of Parliament insisted that Pakistan will not bend in the face of aggression, whether it flows from across the border in the form of water politics or through the barrel of a gun via terror proxies.
