Around 17 projects designed by India to alter river system: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Ishaq Dar said that around 17 projects have been designed by India to significantly alter the river system as a whole, giving New Delhi the tools for the “hydro-hegemony” it seeks.

DPM/FM issued a stern warning to India at the Brussels Conference titled; “Transboundary Water Resources: A Weaponised Global Common.”

Dar said that “it is important to underscore that our concerns are not merely based on Indian statements. India has followed up its belligerent statements with illegal actions; these include projects to create reservoirs such as Sawalkot, Kirthai, Kwar, etc.; the expansion of existing structures such as Baglihar and Salal; and most alarmingly, diversion projects on the Indus, Chenab, and Ravi rivers.”

DPM Dar remarked that Pakistan has consistently upheld the values enshrined in the UN Charter and has remained committed to its principles and relevant UN resolutions. It was in this spirit that Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty with India in 1960, establishing a framework for the utilization of the six rivers of the Indus River System.

“The treaty envisages the peaceful resolution of disputes within its own framework. It is a testament to the enduring quality of the treaty that it survived three major conflicts and several other challenges over the decades,” he noted.

Dar highlighted that it is important to acknowledge that Pakistan has previously voiced concerns over certain actions by India under the Treaty. Consistent with the Treaty’s provisions, we sought settlement through international mechanisms and respected decisions even when they fell short of our expectations.

At no stage was the outright unilateral abrogation of the Treaty considered a viable course of action by either side. Responsible states act within established legal frameworks rather than abandoning them. And yet, he added “today, we find ourselves confronted with precisely such a challenge, stating river systems are not merely waterways. They are lifelines. They carry profound historical significance and serve as immediate sources of sustenance and survival.

“One of the world’s oldest continuous human civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization, which subsequently nurtured the Gandhara Civilization and gave rise to numerous cultural and historical developments, faces an unprecedented threat today. The stated policy of our eastern neighbour to intentionally deprive 240 million people of their rightful access to water represents a catastrophe in the making, of unparalleled magnitude.”

DPM Dar emphasised that water must never be viewed as an instrument of coercion. It is a shared resource, a common responsibility, and ultimately a prerequisite for human dignity and sustainable development. The future of transboundary water governance must therefore be anchored in cooperation and respect for international law.

“It is important to underscore that this issue should not be viewed as one confined to South Asia. Pakistan remains committed to resolving all issues through dialogue, diplomacy, and the mechanisms provided under international law. Our position is guided not by confrontation, but by the conviction that lasting solutions can only emerge through cooperation and respect for mutually agreed obligations,” he further elaborated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026