diplomacySaturday, August 29, 20262 sources

Pakistan Envoy Rizwan Saeed Sheikh Asserts India’s Unilateral Move Cannot Alter Indus Waters Treaty

On August 29, 2026, Pakistan’s envoy to the United States, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, stated that India’s unilateral announcement in April 2025 cannot change the legal status of the Indus Waters Treaty. The treaty remains valid, binding, and operative, he emphasized, despite India’s actions.

Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh of Pakistan addressed the United States on August 29, 2026, reaffirming that India’s unilateral declaration in April 2025 does not affect the legal standing of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). He stated that the treaty, which has been in effect for over six decades, continues to be valid, operative, and binding. The IWT governs the distribution of water from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan, and Sheikh’s remarks underscored Pakistan’s firm stance on the treaty’s integrity. Sheikh’s comments came amid heightened tensions between the two South Asian nations, with India having unilaterally announced changes to the treaty’s implementation in April 2025. Pakistan has consistently rejected these moves, asserting that any modifications must be agreed upon bilaterally. The envoy’s remarks were reported by multiple outlets under the Associated Press of Pakistan, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic standoff over the treaty’s future.

Timelines

India-Pakistan Geopolitical RivalryIndia-Pakistan Geopolitical Rivalry: Diplomacy and Peace Negotiations

Sources

WireAssociated Press of PakistanAug 29, 12:16 PM
Pakistan Envoy Says India’s Unilateral Move Can’t Alter Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan envoy says India’s unilateral move can’t alter Indus Waters Treaty ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (APP): Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said that India’s unilateral announcement of April 2025 cannot alter the Indus Waters Treaty’s (IWT) legal status or extinguish the rights and obligations arising under it, asserting the Treaty remains valid, operative and binding. “For more than six decades, the IWT has...

WireAssociated Press of PakistanAug 29, 11:25 AM
Pakistan Envoy Says India’s Unilateral Move Can’t Alter Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan envoy says India’s unilateral move can’t alter Indus Waters Treaty ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (APP): Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said that India’s unilateral announcement of April 2025 cannot alter the Indus Waters Treaty’s (IWT) legal status or extinguish the rights and obligations arising under it, asserting the Treaty remains valid, operative and binding. “For more than six decades, the IWT...