Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has expressed concern over India’s recent plans to expand reservoirs and divert water on the Indus river system, warning that such measures could alter the river’s natural flow, foster “hydro-hegemony” and pose serious risks to regional stability and water security.
Addressing a conference on transboundary water resources in Brussels on Thursday, Dar said Pakistan’s concerns were not only based on Indian statements but also on measures taken under the Indus river system.
“It is important to emphasize that our concerns are not simply based on Indian statements,” DPM Dar said. He added that India had pursued projects including reservoirs, expansion of existing structures and diversion projects on the Indus, Chenab and Ravi rivers.
“In total, at least 17 such projects will radically change the entire river system, giving India the tools of ‘hydro-hegemony’ that it so desires,” he added.
Pakistan has previously said it would consider any attempt to change the flow of cross-border waterways an “act of war” and says the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains in force as there is no mechanism to unilaterally withdraw from it.
The treaty governs the use of water from six rivers, the upper reaches of which originate in India but flow into Pakistan as part of the Indus Basin – a resource on which hundreds of millions of people depend.
India said in May 2025 that it had suspended its membership in the IWT after accusing Islamabad of supporting a deadly attack on tourists in India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) – accusations that Pakistan has categorically denied.
Addressing the seminar earlier in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister further said that Pakistan remained committed to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, noting that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) signed in 1960 had provided a framework for the utilization of the six rivers of the Indus river system and had survived multiple conflicts over the decades.
He said Pakistan had already raised its concerns through international mechanisms and respected decisions even when they did not fully meet its expectations. However, DPM Dar stressed that “responsible states act within established legal frameworks rather than abandoning them.”
The Deputy Prime Minister described rivers as “lifelines” loaded with historical, cultural and economic significance. He warned that any attempt to deprive people of access to water could have serious consequences.
“Water should never be seen as an instrument of coercion,” he said, adding that the future of transboundary water governance should be based on cooperation and respect for international law.
He also said the problem extends beyond South Asia, saying compliance with treaty obligations is a global imperative and essential to regional stability and prosperity.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s position, Dar said the country remained committed to resolving disputes through dialogue, diplomacy and international legal mechanisms. “Sustainable solutions can only emerge through cooperation and compliance with mutually agreed obligations,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister further noted that Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, remained one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and called for greater international cooperation to address water challenges.
