Pakistan, April 25 -- Reports of India unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty have sent ripples through both legal and diplomatic circles. This decades-old water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan is not just a bilateral accord-it's a cornerstone of transboundary water governance and a rare example of cooperation between two historic adversaries. The legal implications of its suspension, therefore, deserve serious scrutiny.

With few exceptions, treaties are meant to be kept by state parties. Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) enshrines the principle of pacta sunt servanda-agreements must be kept. This principle lies at the heart of the international legal system. It ensures that commitmen...