Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday warned India against any attempt to undermine the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying it could have serious consequences for the region and the broader international order.
For over six decades, India and Pakistan amicably managed the Indus river system through the BIT transboundary water sharing agreement signed on September 19, 1960. In April last year, India suspended the treaty following the Pahalgam attack.
Addressing the inaugural session of an international seminar titled ‘The Indus Waters Treaty: A Key Instrument for Regional Peace and Stability’ at the Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad, FM Dar said any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its legal water rights under the treaty would have profound consequences for peace and security in South Asia, home to nearly two billion people.
“If international agreements can be ignored wherever they become politically inconvenient, confidence in the international legal order is inevitably weakened. The sanctity of treaties is one of the foundations on which peaceful relations between States rest.”
He said the implications extend “well beyond South Asia”.
Read: “We are talking about our lifeline, not a treaty,” says Tarar at IWT seminar
Detailing the apprehensions that Pakistan has over the neglect of the IWT, he said that since April 2025, the country has observed a series of objectionable measures taken by India, including “abrupt variations” in the flow of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers as well as continued efforts to develop infrastructure capable of regulating the flow of the western rivers.
“Such transgressions in international relations set dangerous precedents, undermine national credibility and call into question the foundations of interstate cooperation. »
For Pakistan, he added, this is not just a legal debate, as water is the lifeline of more than 250 million people.
FM Dar emphasized that agriculture, food security, energy production and broader economic development depended on the uninterrupted flow of the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan.
“The protection of these waters is a matter of vital national interest,” he stressed.
The deputy prime minister advised India to avoid any action that could escalate tensions, saying New Delhi should refrain from “sowing the seeds of war” and endangering the peace and stability of more than 2 billion people.
Read also: Zardari urges India to fully restore CIES, warns against ‘weaponization’ of water
He said lasting peace in the region could only be achieved through dialogue, diplomacy and established conventional mechanisms to resolve outstanding disputes, rather than through the use or threat of force.
Highlighting Pakistan’s efforts to ensure peace in the region, Dar said the country had always adhered to these principles and would continue to do so; however, lasting peace depends on mutual respect, sovereign equality and the faithful implementation of international obligations.
He reiterated that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its legitimate river rights under the treaty would be met with stiff opposition.
The treaty, negotiated over several years, was aimed at ensuring fair and efficient use of water resources shared by the two countries, the DPM said, while asserting that Islamabad did not seek confrontation or war, but would not accept any illegal diversion or encroachment on its share of water bodies.
Pakistan will use all legal and diplomatic channels available under international law to safeguard its rights and interests, he added.
“We respect international law and treaties.”
Recalling India’s illegal suspension of IWT, FM Dar said the National Security Committee, comprising civilian and military leaders, had unanimously decided to term any attempt to divert Pakistan’s share of water, stop its flow or curtail its legal rights over water as an “act of war”.
He said the decision reflected national consensus and reaffirmed the country’s determination to protect its water rights.
Learn more: Dar writes to UN Security Council demanding action on India’s attempts to alter river flow
Dar also said Pakistan has always sought to promote peace and stability in the region and supported efforts to reduce tensions and encourage dialogue during the recent conflict between the United States and Iran.
“At a recent forum in Oslo, a US envoy called Pakistan an internet security provider in the region,” he noted.
Pakistan’s foreign policy is based on mutual respect, equality and peaceful relations with all countries, FM Dar said, adding that the United Nations Security Council has the responsibility to maintain international peace and security.
He also reminded India that the country chairs the UN Security Council and continues to support multilateralism and peaceful resolution of disputes.
FM Dar said the government would continue to use peaceful, legal and diplomatic means to protect its interests.
“Shared waters must never be weaponized,” he concluded.
