Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday criticized recent moves by India to expand reservoirs and water diversion projects on the Indus River system, warning this can alter natural river flows and pose serious risks to regional stability and water security.
Addressing a conference on transboundary water resources in Brussels via video-link, he said Pakistan’s concerns stemmed from both Indian statements and ongoing actions on the Indus River System. “It is important to underscore that our concerns are not merely based on Indian statements,” he said, adding India had pursued projects including reservoirs, the expansion of existing structures and diversion schemes on the Indus, Chenab and Ravi rivers.
“In total, at least 17 such projects will drastically alter the river system as a whole, giving India the tools for hydro-hegemony that it so desires,” he stressed.
Emphasizing that Pakistan remained committed to the principles of the U.N. Charter and international law, he recalled the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 and had provided a framework for sharing of the six rivers of the Indus River system. He noted Pakistan had previously raised concerns about India’s violations through international mechanisms and respected decisions even when they did not fully meet its expectations. “Responsible states act within established legal frameworks rather than abandoning them,” he maintained.
Describing rivers as “lifelines” carrying historical, cultural and economic significance, the foreign minister warned any attempt to deprive populations of access to water could have serious consequences. “Water must never be viewed as an instrument of coercion,” he said. The future of transboundary water governance should be based on cooperation and respect for international law, he added.
According to Dar, the issue extended beyond South Asia. He argued that respect for treaty obligations was a global imperative and essential for regional stability and prosperity.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, Dar said the country remained committed to resolving disputes through dialogue, diplomacy and international legal mechanisms. “Lasting solutions can only emerge through cooperation and respect for mutually agreed obligations,” he said.
During his talk, the deputy prime minister noted Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, remained among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and called for greater international cooperation on water-related challenges.
Pleas to UNSC
Also on Thursday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad delivered a letter from Dar to UNSC President Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres of Colombia, drawing attention to India’s violations of the Indus Waters Treaty.
In a post on X, the envoy said the letter drew “urgent attention of the UNSC to two illegal Indian infrastructure projects linked to Chenab River system aimed at water diversion, which reveal India’s intention to illegally alter the treaty-governed flow and use of the Western rivers, weaponizing water with dangerous implications for Pakistan’s water, food, and economic security as well as regional stability and international peace and security.”
He said the UNSC had been urged to take cognizance of this “fragile and deteriorating situation and hold India accountable for its brazen violations.” He further said he had briefed the UNSC president on the overall situation in South Asia and India’s continued non-compliance with its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The Indus Waters Treaty is a sore point between Pakistan and India since Delhi’s unilateral abeyance of the accord following a terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, India-held Kashmir. Delhi swiftly sought to blame Islamabad for the incident, without offering any evidence, and conducted strikes in Pakistan that triggered a brief conflict between the two sides in May 2025.
Following the conflict, Pakistan said it would consider any attempt to change the flow of cross-border waterways as an “act of war.” Earlier this month, Indian Water Minister C.R. Patil said Delhi was working to ensure “not a single drop of water” would flow into Pakistan. This has prompted criticism from Pakistan’s Foreign Office, which has emphasized that India’s actions violate the Treaty.