ISLAMABAD – Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has rejected India’s attempt to use water as a political tool, maintaining that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) cannot be unilaterally amended, revoked, terminated or placed in abeyance.
Atta Tarar said Pakistan remained committed to peace but would not accept any attempt to use water as a weapon.
He made these remarks while addressing the launch of a special report, Weaponising Waters: Historical, Legal, and Strategic Dimensions of IWT Suspension, at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
The minister said the treaty did not permit either party to suspend or alter it through unilateral action. He also referred to the recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which held that the treaty remains in force and that India remains bound by its obligations under the agreement.
Tarar said Pakistan had pursued the matter through diplomatic channels by engaging the international community and raising its concerns before relevant international forums.
The minister recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he described the Indus Waters Treaty as vital to the people of Pakistan and the wider region. The prime minister had also warned that any attempt to block, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus waters would be considered an act of war.
Tarar said Pakistan’s position on the treaty was clear and maintained that the agreement continued to serve as an important framework for regional stability.
He argued that allowing a country to unilaterally suspend a binding water-sharing agreement despite established dispute-resolution mechanisms could have wider implications for international water governance and other states dependent on shared water resources.
India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement. The Hague-based Court of Arbitration subsequently ruled in August 2026 that there was no legal basis for India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty and ordered interim restrictions concerning work on the Ratle hydroelectric project. India rejected the ruling and disputed the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
Tarar said Pakistan would continue diplomatic and international engagement while defending its water rights under international law.
