‘Also a Major Stakeholder’: Pakistan Invokes China in Indus Waters Treaty Dispute with India, Says 'Himalayan Rivers are Shared Heritage'

New Delhi: The dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has taken a fresh turn after Pakistan sought to bring China into the conversation, arguing that Himalayan rivers are a "shared heritage" and that Beijing is a key stakeholder in the region's water resources. 

Speaking on the issue, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said rivers originating in the Himalayas are not confined to India and Pakistan alone but flow across several countries, including China.

“There were two questions about China. First, the water from the rivers originating in the Himalayan region is a great gift of nature. The Himalayan river system is a blessing from God, providing water to many countries from the Indus to the Mekong. China’s rivers also originate there. Therefore, it is a shared heritage of all humanity. China will always maintain a positive attitude towards major water issues, as it is a key stakeholder not only in the rivers flowing in South Asia (India and Pakistan), but also in the vast river systems flowing from the Himalayas to China and the Far East (our East and Southeast Asian countries),” Andrabi said.

Through this argument, Pakistan appears to be attempting to internationalise the dispute by portraying Himalayan rivers as a shared regional resource rather than an issue governed solely by the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty.

India has reiterated that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to end cross-border terrorism. The suspension, triggered by the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, marks a significant escalation in the decades-old water dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Why China is Unlikely to Intervene

Despite Pakistan's remarks, China has no legal role in the Indus Waters Treaty.

The treaty, signed in 1960, is a bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan, with the World Bank serving only as a signatory and facilitator. China is not a party to the agreement and therefore has no formal authority to intervene in disputes arising under it.

For this reason, analysts say Beijing is unlikely to become directly involved in the ongoing disagreement between New Delhi and Islamabad.

India's Stand Remains Unchanged

India has reiterated that its position on the treaty has not changed.

Responding to Pakistan's remarks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

"India's position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent. The IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan's cross-border terrorism. Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism."

New Delhi has maintained that the suspension of the treaty is linked to continued cross-border terror activities.

What is the Indus Waters Treaty?

The Indus River system forms the backbone of Pakistan's water supply.

Under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, India received rights over the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, while Pakistan was granted the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, although these rivers originate in or pass through India before entering Pakistan.

Around 70 per cent of the waters covered under the treaty flow to Pakistan, making the country heavily dependent on the river system for irrigation, agriculture and drinking water.

Signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations, the Indus Waters Treaty was brokered by the World Bank and established a framework for sharing the waters of the six rivers of the Indus basin between India and Pakistan.

For over six decades, it has been regarded as one of the world's most enduring transboundary water-sharing agreements, surviving multiple wars and periods of diplomatic strain between the two neighbours.

ALSO READ: Viral 'Tirri Trend' Ends: Govt Bans Chinese BAT-BMS App Used to Remotely Disable Moving E-Rickshaws