Islamabad (Web Desk): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday cautioned that India’s decision to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty amounted to using water as weapon, a step he warned could push Pakistan toward a humanitarian emergency.
Addressing the diplomatic corps in Islamabad on Friday, he drew attention to what he described as abnormal and sudden changes in the flow of the River Chenab, resulting from unilateral water releases by India on two separate occasions this year — first from April 30 to May 21, 2025, and again during the period between December 7 and 15.
DPM Dar said these actions had taken place at a critical stage of Pakistan’s agricultural calendar, directly affecting farmers and rural communities, and posing a serious threat to food availability, economic stability, and the livelihoods of millions. Such conduct, he said, was unlawful and reckless, carrying the potential to create a large-scale humanitarian crisis.
He told the diplomatic corps that India had also stopped providing advance notices, hydrological information, and data-sharing mechanisms required under the treaty, leaving Pakistan exposed to both flooding and water shortages. This breakdown in cooperation, he said, undermined the framework designed to ensure predictability and trust between the two countries.
Referring to India’s unilateral move to place the treaty in abeyance, the deputy prime minister said it constituted a clear violation of international law, including Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
He noted that Pakistan was now facing what he termed “material breaches” that struck at the very foundation of the Indus Waters Treaty, with growing consequences for regional stability and the credibility of international legal commitments.
DPM Dar said India had released water into Pakistani rivers without prior warning or the sharing of required data, in direct violation of treaty provisions. In response, Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commissioner had formally written to his Indian counterpart, seeking explanations in line with the treaty’s procedures and urging India to refrain from any unilateral interference with river flows.
Dar said India had long sought to weaken the treaty through a pattern of actions, including the construction of hydropower projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle, which Pakistan believes do not comply with the treaty’s technical parameters.
He added that India continued to build dams in disregard of its obligations, creating irreversible situations that expanded its ability to store and regulate water, thereby endangering Pakistan’s security, economy, and the livelihoods of its 240 million citizens.
He warned that allowing such violations to go unchecked would establish a troubling precedent, particularly as India had undermined the treaty’s dispute resolution system by refusing to participate in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration and the Neutral Expert.
Stressing that the Indus Waters Treaty remained a legally binding agreement, Dar said any unilateral breach threatened the sanctity of international treaties and posed serious risks to peace, good neighborly relations, and the rules governing interactions between states.
He also pointed to recent decisions by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in June and August 2025, which reaffirmed the treaty’s continued validity and the binding nature of its dispute resolution mechanisms.
These rulings, he said, made it clear that the treaty remained fully in force and that India’s non-compliance should not be overlooked by the international community.
The deputy prime minister reiterated that Pakistan’s National Security Committee had declared any attempt to block or divert Pakistan’s share of water under the treaty as an “act of war.”
Calling on the global community to take notice, he urged international partners to advise India to respect its treaty obligations and adhere to international law.
He said confrontational statements by Indian leaders reflected an intention to use water as leverage against Pakistan, a concern Islamabad had repeatedly raised with the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general, and the president of the UN General Assembly.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to resolving disputes with India through peaceful means, while making it clear that the country would not compromise on the fundamental water rights of its people.
Concluding his remarks, Dar appealed to the international community, particularly members of the UN Security Council, to act without delay by urging India to restore the Indus Waters Treaty, end the use of water as a weapon, honor its international commitments, and avoid steps that could destabilize peace and security in South Asia.