Pakistan's Leghari: India Cannot Unilaterally Suspend Indus Waters Treaty; Arbitration Obligatory

Pakistan's former Punjab Irrigation Minister Mohsin Leghari stated on April 5, 2026 that India 'cannot unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty,' reiterating Islamabad's legal position that the treaty's mechanisms require any dispute to go through the World Bank-established Permanent Court of Arbitration. Leghari's statement came 100+ days after a December 16, 2025 UN deadline for India to respond to Special Rapporteur concerns about the IWT suspension — which India has ignored. The 1960 treaty, brokered by World Bank President Eugene Black, was designed explicitly to be insulated from the hostile political relationship between India and Pakistan. Pakistan's legal argument draws on Article XII of the treaty, which requires modifications to be agreed through a specific mechanism. India's counter-position holds that Pakistan's continued support for terrorism constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances justifying suspension under the Vienna Convention. Pakistan has referred the matter to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a forum India has rejected as lacking jurisdiction.