India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is not only morally justified, considering continuing cross-border terrorism, but also legally defensible due to repeated procedural violations by Pakistan. This action, a sovereign right exercised to protect national interest, security, and the integrity of international agreements, underscores that reciprocity and mutual adherence are non-negotiable.

This step signals that while India has always honoured its international commitments, it will not be taken for granted when the other party repeatedly breaches the spirit and terms of the agreement.

Pakistan has invoked the treaty’s dispute resolution provisions three times, not always in good faith. The first instance involved objections to a hydropower project on the Chenab River in Kashmir, India. While Pakistan raised concerns that the project could give Indian engineers undue control over river flows, the World Bank-appointed neutral expert ruled in favour of India in 2007, validating the project’s design and sediment management as being in line with international best practices.

The most critical breach occurred in 2016, when Pakistan unilaterally bypassed the treaty’s graded mechanism........

© News18