India's decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance continues to hold firm, even as Pakistan hosted a self-styled 'international summit' in Islamabad to rally global opinion against New Delhi's stance. Critics and analysts argue that Pakistan's diplomatic campaign conspicuously sidesteps the cross-border terrorism that triggered India's move in the first place.

Summit Falls Short of 'International' Billing

Despite being promoted as a major international gathering, the Islamabad summit drew only a handful of notable foreign participants, according to a report by StratNews Global. Foreign attendees were reportedly limited to water security and foreign policy experts from the US and China — a far cry from the broad multilateral audience Pakistan had sought to project.

Senior Pakistani officials addressed the event, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who delivered the keynote address. Climate Change Minister Musadik Masood Malik, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and former foreign ministers Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Hina Rabbani Khar also spoke at the summit.

Inflammatory Remarks Draw Attention

The summit's rhetoric raised eyebrows internationally. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated at the event: 'Pakistan's Nuclear Bombs are not for ceremonial purposes. If all efforts fail to restore the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan must explore the nuclear option.'

Musadik Malik added that Islamabad would 'cut off those hands' that want to control the Indus water — remarks that analysts noted were unlikely to aid Pakistan's stated goal of winning international sympathy.

Commenting on the proceedings, Nitin Gokhale wrote in StratNews Global: 'Yet after listening to the discussions, one question lingered. How many of the speakers had actually examined the treaty in detail or objectively assessed the implications of India's decision? The treaty's own preamble states that it was signed in a spirit of goodwill and friendship. India argues that Pakistan's continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy has eroded that very foundation.'

Why India Suspended the Treaty

India placed the IWT in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, exercising its rights as a sovereign nation under international law. New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

On 5 June, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India's position at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, responding to Pakistan's claim that India was seeking to 'weaponise water' through the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project and plans to flush silt from the Salal Dam reservoir. 'We have suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and kept it in abeyance until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism,' Jaiswal said.

The MEA has also rejected the jurisdiction of any arbitral body convened to examine India's actions, stating: 'No Court of Arbitration, much less this illegally constituted arbitral body which has no existence in the eye of law, has the jurisdiction to examine the legality of India's actions in exercise of its rights as a sovereign.'

Pakistan's Broader Lobbying Campaign

Pakistan's efforts to shape international opinion have extended well beyond the Islamabad summit. Prime Minister Asif Ali Zardari reportedly held a meeting with selected Pakistani influencers and senior bureaucrats to build a global case on the issue. Islamabad has also sought to influence opinion through institutions such as London's Chatham House and the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies, according to the StratNews Global report.

Central to Pakistan's messaging is the claim that India is 'stopping water' — a framing that, as Gokhale noted, 'leaves out the event that triggered the present crisis' and also omits what he described as 'the totally skewed character of the treaty, which grants Pakistan almost 80 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus water system.'

With India showing no signs of reversing its position, and Pakistan's summit failing to secure broad international backing, the IWT dispute appears set to remain a central fault line in bilateral relations for the foreseeable future.