ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said any attempt to weaken, suspend, or undermine Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) or interfere with Pakistan’s legally guaranteed water rights would carry serious consequences for regional peace and stability.
Addressing opening session of an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty, water security, and regional cooperation, Dar cautioned that tampering with international agreements governing transboundary rivers would not only affect the countries directly involved but would also damage the credibility of international law, weaken global trust, and threaten the rules-based international order.
“Pakistan’s water rights are not negotiable,” Dar said, stressing that the treaty is far more than a legal document. He described it as the foundation of the country’s agriculture, food security, energy production, economic stability, and the livelihood of more than 250 million Pakistanis.
It was a privilege to address the seminar, “Indus Waters Treaty: An Instrument of Regional Peace and Stability,” where leading experts from Pakistan and abroad discussed one of the defining challenges of our time in South Asia.
I underscored that the Indus Waters Treaty is not…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 30, 2026
He warned India against pursuing policies that could fuel regional tensions, urging New Delhi to resolve all outstanding disputes through dialogue, diplomacy, and the dispute-resolution mechanisms provided under international agreements rather than confrontation. Dar cautioned that any move to divert Pakistan’s allocated waters, disrupt their natural flow, or reduce the country’s treaty-guaranteed share would have “extremely serious consequences” for peace and security across South Asia.
Minister stressed that Pakistan remains committed to peaceful coexistence, international law, treaty obligations, and good-neighbourly relations, but made it clear that Islamabad would not tolerate any unlawful interference with its water resources. He said violations of binding international agreements create dangerous precedents that extend beyond bilateral disputes, undermining confidence between nations, weakening state credibility, and eroding the international legal framework that safeguards global peace and security.
Calling water a matter of national survival rather than legal interpretation, Dar noted that Pakistan’s agriculture, food production, electricity generation, and overall economic growth depend on the uninterrupted flow of the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty. He described protecting those rivers as both a vital national interest and an issue of national security.
The deputy premier reiterated that Pakistan neither seeks conflict nor desires war, maintaining that lasting peace can only be achieved through negotiations, mutual respect, sovereign equality, and faithful implementation of international commitments. He warned that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its lawful water share under the treaty would inevitably endanger regional stability.
Referring to the broader regional context, Dar observed that South Asia already faces multiple common challenges and recalled that the Indus Waters Treaty itself was the outcome of years of negotiations aimed at ensuring the fair and equitable distribution of shared water resources.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue defending its legitimate water rights through every legal, diplomatic, and international mechanism available while remaining committed to regional peace and cooperation.
Dar’s remarks come against the backdrop of the May 2025 regional crisis, after India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Adter those developments, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) convened a high-level meeting in which the country’s civilian and military leadership unanimously declared that any attempt to divert Pakistan’s allocated waters, halt their flow, or reduce Pakistan’s legal rights under the treaty would be treated as an act equivalent to war. The committee reaffirmed Pakistan’s united resolve to safeguard its water rights through all available lawful means.
Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding role in promoting peace and reducing tensions during regional and international crises. He said Pakistan’s foreign policy remains rooted in mutual respect, sovereign equality, peaceful engagement, and adherence to international law. He added that protecting international peace and security remains a fundamental responsibility of the United Nations Security Council, and Pakistan will continue pursuing diplomatic and legal avenues to defend its treaty rights while working for regional stability.
