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An analysis by Saviours Magazine, written by ex-IAS officer KBS Sidhu, argued that Pakistan's decision to raise the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is aimed more at shaping international opinion than securing a substantive outcome.
In the article titled "IWT Suspension Internationalised by Pakistan", Sidhu said that Islamabad's appeal to the UNSC following India's 2025 decision to place the treaty in abeyance seeks to "frame a bilateral security and hydrological issue as a global humanitarian crisis." The analysis by Saviours Magazine linked India's suspension of the treaty to the 2025 Pahalgam "massacre", in which 26 civilians were killed in an attack India attributed to "Pakistani-backed terrorists." Sidhu argued that many international analyses overlook India's position as the upper riparian state and fail to adequately address New Delhi's security concerns. The analysis specifically criticised narratives that portray India's actions merely as a response to Pakistan's "diplomatic gambit." According to the analysis, the treaty represented an "asymmetric bargain" from the beginning, with India conceding nearly 80 per cent of the Indus river system's waters to Pakistan despite being geographically upstream. The analysis also accused Pakistan of repeatedly using technical provisions of the treaty to obstruct Indian hydroelectric projects such as Baglihar and Kishanganga while refusing to engage with India's proposed treaty modifications in 2023 and 2024. Sidhu contended that India's legal justification for placing the treaty in abeyance rests on the doctrine of exceptio non adimpleti contractus, arguing that "one party cannot demand performance from another while simultaneously injuring them." Describing Pakistan's move to the UNSC as "shrewd diplomatic theatre," the analysis stated that the Security Council lacks jurisdiction over the treaty because the IWT contains its own dispute resolution mechanisms. The analysis further argued that Pakistan's objective is focused on "international optics rather than a functional legal outcome." A major section of the analysis highlighted India's own infrastructure shortcomings, noting that billions of cubic meters of water from eastern rivers continued flowing into Pakistan because India lacked sufficient storage and diversion infrastructure. Projects such as the Shahpur Kandi Dam and the Ujh Multipurpose Project are cited as examples of delayed efforts now being accelerated. The analysis also argued that India should move beyond temporary suspension and consider formally revoking the treaty altogether if cross-border terrorism continues. "India's response to Pakistan's internationalisation should not just be a diplomatic rebuttal at the UN, but a 'bulldozer at Pathankot,'" Sidhu writes, calling for large-scale infrastructure projects and a long-term strategic shift in India's water policy. (ANI)
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