ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday declared that Pakistan would safeguard its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) through all available legal and diplomatic means amid warning that any attempt to deprive the country of its allocated share of water would have profound consequences for regional peace and security.
Addressing the International Seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty 2026 here at the Convention Center, Dar said water was not merely a natural resource but the foundation of human dignity, economic prosperity, food security and environmental sustainability. He said the Indus River system had sustained civilizations for thousands of years and its preservation was a shared responsibility.
He emphasized that transboundary rivers should unite nations through cooperation rather than divide them through confrontation, and described this principle as firmly rooted in international law.
Recalling the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 under the auspices of the World Bank, Dar said the agreement established a durable legal framework for sharing the waters of the six rivers of the Indus Basin. He noted that while India received unrestricted use of the three eastern rivers, Pakistan was allocated the three western rivers, with India permitted only limited uses under the treaty.
The deputy prime minister said Pakistan had undertaken extensive restructuring of its irrigation and water management systems in reliance on the permanence of the Treaty, despite suffering significant disadvantages after the eastern rivers ceased to flow into Pakistan.
“For more than six decades, including periods of war and political tensions, Pakistan honoured the Treaty in both letter and spirit because it believed that international agreements would be respected in good faith,” he said.
Dar termed India’s decision to place the Treaty in abeyance as “illegal, unilateral and without any basis” in either the Treaty or international law. He said Pakistan unequivocally rejected the announcement, maintaining that the Indus Waters Treaty remained valid, binding and fully operational.
“No party can unilaterally suspend or terminate obligations under a treaty that contains no such provision,” he said, adding that the principle reflected the fundamental rule of international law that treaties must be implemented in good faith.
Referring to proceedings before the Court of Arbitration constituted under the Treaty, Dar said the court had reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty established a permanent legal regime governing the rights and obligations of both countries over the Indus Basin. He said the court’s findings reinforced that such agreements could not be suspended or terminated unilaterally.
He warned that disregarding binding international agreements whenever they became politically inconvenient would weaken confidence in the international legal order and undermine peaceful relations among states.
Expressing concern over developments since April 2025, Dar alleged that Pakistan had observed abrupt variations in the flows of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and continued efforts to expand infrastructure capable of regulating waters allocated to Pakistan. He said such actions undermined the cooperative framework that had preserved regional stability for more than six decades.
The Deputy Prime Minister said disputes must be resolved exclusively through the mechanisms established under the Treaty rather than through unilateral actions.
He stressed that responsible nations respected international law and fulfilled treaty obligations as both legal and moral commitments. Any attempt to weaponise shared waters, he warned, would set dangerous precedents, erode the rules-based international order and damage interstate cooperation.
Describing water as the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis, Dar said the country’s agriculture, energy production, food security and economic development depended on the uninterrupted flow of the western rivers allocated under the Treaty.
“We sincerely advise India against sowing the seeds of war and jeopardising peace and security in the region,” he said, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue, diplomacy and treaty-based mechanisms.
However, he cautioned that there should be no misunderstanding regarding Pakistan’s resolve to defend its water rights.
“Any attempt to deprive Pakistan of the waters rightfully allocated to it under the Indus Waters Treaty would have profound consequences for regional peace and security,” he said.
Dar recalled that Pakistan’s National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following India’s decision to place the Treaty in abeyance, had unanimously declared that any diversion, interruption or reduction of Pakistan’s water rights under the Treaty would be treated as an act of war.
“We mean it and we will make sure that our rights are neither prejudiced nor abused,” he asserted.
Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, the deputy prime minister said the country had consistently advocated dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes. He cited Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating dialogue during recent international tensions as evidence of its constructive role in promoting regional and global peace.
Calling for improved relations with India, Dar said Pakistan remained ready to engage in comprehensive dialogue on all outstanding issues, provided there was reciprocal willingness from the other side.
Concluding his address, Dar described the Indus Waters Treaty as far more than a water-sharing arrangement, calling it a vital instrument for regional peace, stability and cooperation.
“Shared waters must never be weaponised. They should remain a bridge between nations, guided by cooperation, dialogue and respect for international law for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.