'India's IWT abeyance claim has no standing'

Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters Mehar Ali Shah on Sunday rejected India's claim of putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) "in abeyance", saying the treaty remains fully valid under international law.

He expressed these views during a progamme on a private TV channel.

"As far as holding the treaty in abeyance is concerned, the word 'abeyance' is not recognised under international treaty law. It is a coined term, because we believe India understands that it cannot suspend, breach or terminate the treaty," he said.

He warned that India's ongoing refusal to cooperate within the rules-based framework was "alarming".