Pakistan urges India to honour Indus Waters Treaty after PCA ruling

September 2, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has called on India to fully comply with the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), welcoming the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) unanimous ruling and reaffirming Islamabad’s right to pursue all diplomatic and legal avenues to safeguard its water interests.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, speaking at his weekly press briefing, described the PCA award as a significant reaffirmation of the treaty’s validity and the importance of international law.

He said Pakistan’s position had consistently been that disputes over the Indus waters must be resolved strictly through the mechanisms established under the IWT and applicable international law, according to APP.

Andrabi criticised India’s rejection of the PCA award, saying a state could not selectively invoke international law when convenient while disregarding it when faced with an unfavourable outcome.

He added that ignoring binding treaty commitments and established dispute-resolution procedures could weaken confidence in international legal mechanisms and set an adverse precedent.

Pakistan, he said, expected India to resume complete compliance with the treaty, respect its institutional mechanisms and engage with Islamabad through the framework agreed by both countries.

The spokesperson maintained that statements issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs could neither change its obligations under the IWT nor absolve it from implementing the Court of Arbitration’s award.

Pakistan, he added, would implement the ruling in accordance with the treaty’s provisions and continue urging India to do the same.

On China’s engagement with Afghanistan, Andrabi welcomed the Chinese Special Envoy’s visit to Pakistan and described Beijing’s involvement as constructive and sustained.

He said Pakistan remained committed to dialogue on Afghanistan, but meaningful progress would require the interim Taliban administration to take concrete and verifiable steps against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

Regarding the conflict between the United States and Iran and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Andrabi said Pakistan was closely following developments and remained committed to the peace process.

He said periods of escalation were common in international conflicts and did not necessarily represent the collapse of mediation efforts. Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s discussions with the Iranian leadership, he said the Islamabad MoU continued to provide a framework for the parties to resume negotiations, including technical-level discussions, with the objective of achieving a sustainable resolution.

On the case involving Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, the spokesperson reiterated that there had been no change in Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.

He said Islamabad’s stance remained based on UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, adding that Pakistan would continue raising the issue at relevant international forums.

Andrabi also pointed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s engagements with the UN Secretary-General during their visit to Bishkek, saying Jammu and Kashmir remained among Pakistan’s key priorities at the United Nations.

Commenting on the European Commission’s latest biannual GSP Monitoring Report, he welcomed its recognition of Pakistan’s continued compliance with the relevant international conventions but said the report’s broader assessment did not provide a sufficiently balanced view of the country’s performance.

On counter-terrorism, Andrabi said Pakistan was dealing with both domestic and external dimensions.

He said security forces continued operations internally, while Islamabad remained concerned about support to militant groups from elements in Afghanistan, including the interim Taliban administration, as well as alleged backing and facilitation by extra-regional actors, particularly India.

The spokesperson also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic activity during the past week, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan and meetings held by the prime minister and DPM Ishaq Dar with international leaders.

He said Pakistan had assumed the SCO chairmanship and would host the next meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State next year.

Andrabi further highlighted the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee formed under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace, stability and de-escalation, including through restraint and peaceful settlement of disputes.

A dedicated secretariat headed by a secretary-general will be established in Saudi Arabia, with Pakistan set to provide the secretary-general for the initial three-year term.

The briefing marked Andrabi’s final appearance as Foreign Office spokesperson before he assumes his new role as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to Geneva. Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan has taken over as the new Foreign Office spokesperson.

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