Growing Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations

September 16, 2026 at 12:10 PM6 min read6 views

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In what can be called a landmark victory for Pakistan, a court of arbitration in The Hague has ruled that India cannot unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, rejecting every argument New Delhi has used to justify holding the six-decade-old water-sharing agreement “in abeyance” since April 2025. The five-member court found that the treaty “remains fully in force” and that India “must observe its obligations” under it, including those governing the design and operation of hydropower projects on rivers that flow into Pakistan. India, which is officially a member of the court, said it did not recognize the court and "categorically" rejected the verdict. Although the ruling strengthens Pakistan's position, even if it offers no obvious way to force India's hand, it has once again brought into the limelight the hydropolitics being played over the treaty.

In international relations, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests. This pragmatism is on full display in the conduct of relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. India, which once enjoyed exemplary influence on Bangladesh, is now being sidelined by the current government led by Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia (late). And,...

Growing Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations

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