India’s rejection of Indus Waters Treaty makes no sense: Sherry Rehman

In an interview with a foreign television channel, Sherry Rehman said the Indus Waters Treaty was an important global example of sharing cross-border water. She said the treaty provided a clear system for water distribution, exchange of information and resolution of disputes.

She said the treaty had no provision for its unilateral suspension or for declaring it inoperative. Suspending or ignoring the treaty unilaterally raised serious legal questions, she said. The Court of Arbitration and the neutral expert mechanism were two separate routes for resolving disputes. Pakistan was reviewing the legal options available under the treaty.

The Pakistan Peoples Party leader said Pakistan wanted a peaceful resolution of the dispute. Water, she said, should not become the cause of a new conflict. Pakistan was playing a role in regional stability beyond South Asia, she added.

Sherry Rehman further said that defence cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was not directed against any particular country. Pakistan gave priority to mutual interest and regional cooperation rather than conflict, she said.