Pakistan to protect sanctity of Indus Waters Treaty by all means: Tarar

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday expressed Pakistan’s resolve to protect the sanctity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by all means.

Addressing the opening session of the seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, he said the Indus is our lifeline and vowed to protect the inalienable right of 240 million people of Pakistan to the waters of the Indus River System, Radio Pakistan reported.

An international seminar on IWT is underway in Islamabad to highlight Pakistan’s water rights under the treaty. The seminar is deliberating upon various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The information minister said it is our collective responsibility to ensure that these waters remain a symbol of peace and shared prosperity for generations to come. “Pakistan stands firm in its determination to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people who are linked to the Indus River,” he maintained.

Tarar said the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be amended, revoked, suspended or held in abeyance unilaterally. He mentioned that this pact came into being after mutual consensus and only mutual consensus can lead to any amendment.

“India’s failed attempt to unilaterally hold this treaty in abeyance has led to international embarrassment for India at various forums, including legal ones,” he said.

Highlighting the challenge posed by climate change and water scarcity, the minister emphasised that protecting the IWT is of the utmost essence. He said any attempt to block or stop water will always fail.

He noted that the weaponisation of water or attempts to unilaterally alter established arrangements undermine not only regional peace and stability but also the broader framework of international law.

“Pakistan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the peaceful engagement and constructive dialogue as well as the faithful implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” he stated.

He warned if any attempt is made to stop the water of Pakistan, our leadership stands resolved to respond effectively to restore the water for the people of Pakistan.

Shedding light on different aspects of the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Mehar Ali Shah said the treaty is a national security and not merely a hydrology for Pakistan.

He said Pakistan’s restraint has been deliberate, but water, food, livelihood and social stability are not negotiable abstractions. “Pakistan has publically defined the strategic threshold for any attempt to stop or divert the treaty waters belonging to Islamabad,” he stated.

Mehar said India cannot hold Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance unilaterally.

He said Pakistan is not responding only through speeches, but used the international system responsibly.

The Pakistan’s commissioner said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also briefed the diplomatic corps, the President of the UN Security Council and President of the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, the Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN transmitted the record to the UN Security Council as well.

Addressing the seminar, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said any move to block, divert, manipulate or control Pakistan’s rightful waters will not be treated as routine engineering.

“The Indus cannot be held hostage and the treaty cannot be suspended by arrogance,” said Bilawal.

He said the river cannot be turned into a weapon and the thirst of children cannot become the policy of a neighbouring state. He made it clear that Pakistan would never surrender its waters.

The PPP chairman said Pakistan wants dialogue, but it must be under the law. He said Pakistan wants coexistence, but not submission. He said Pakistan will defend its water, people, the treaty, sovereignty and future.

Bilawal said by weaponising water, India is not merely violating a treaty but is s pushing South Asia towards the edge of strategic catastrophe. He warned that Pakistan must respond military if it sees an attack on its rivers as a military assault.