WASHINGTON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has warned that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) could have “profound consequences” for regional peace and security.
Addressing a virtual seminar in Washington titled The Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at the Crossroads, Dar said the 1960 agreement remained “valid, binding and fully operative” despite India’s decision in April 2025 to place it in abeyance.
Dar stressed that the treaty contains no provision allowing either country to unilaterally suspend its obligations. He said political declarations could not erase commitments made under international law.
“The Indus Basin is the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis,” Dar said, highlighting Pakistan’s heavy dependence on the river system for agriculture, food security, energy production, livelihoods and economic growth. Under the treaty, the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — are allocated primarily to India, while the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — are allocated primarily to Pakistan, subject to specified Indian uses.
Dar said Pakistan’s use of the treaty’s dispute-resolution mechanisms, including the Permanent Indus Commission, neutral expert and Court of Arbitration, should not be viewed as confrontation. Instead, he described them as mechanisms agreed by both countries to resolve differences peacefully.
He also warned that unilateral interference with the treaty could set a dangerous precedent for international agreements and undermine confidence in international law. The foreign minister linked the dispute to climate change, noting that Pakistan faces growing water stress, changing rainfall patterns, glacial retreat, floods and droughts. He called for greater transparency, data-sharing and technical cooperation between Pakistan and India.
Dar proposed three key steps: respecting the treaty in letter and spirit, resolving disputes through its established mechanisms, and restoring technical engagement and information-sharing between the two countries. He reiterated that Pakistan would protect its legitimate water rights under the treaty and international law. “Shared waters must never be weaponised,” Dar said, urging both countries to keep the Indus a source of life, livelihood and stability rather than a cause of confrontation.