Ishaq Dar speaks at a high-level OIC event on peace and tolerance on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday accused India of deliberately manipulating river flows in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), and warned that New Delhi’s actions threaten regional stability, international law and the livelihoods of millions of people downstream.
Addressing the diplomatic corps in Islamabad, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said India’s decision earlier this year to put the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty on hold constituted a “gross violation” of international law, including the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
He said Pakistan was now witnessing “material breaches” of the treaty, citing unusual and sudden variations in the river Chenab on two occasions this year – from April 30 to May 21 and again between December 7 and 15.
“These sudden changes in river flows point to unilateral water releases by India, carried out without prior notification or sharing of data, as explicitly required under the treaty,” he said, adding that such actions were of “extreme concern” to Pakistan.
The foreign minister said Pakistan’s Indus water commissioner had formally sought clarifications from his Indian counterpart under treaty provisions and warned that India’s behavior amounted to “weaponization of water”.
He said the timing of the water manipulation was particularly alarming as it coincided with a critical phase of Pakistan’s agricultural cycle that directly threatened food security, livelihoods and the wider economy.
The minister accused India of systematically undermining the treaty through the construction of hydropower projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle, which he said were in violation of the treaty’s technical specifications, as well as by building dams with the aim of creating faits accomplis.
“With increasing storage capacity, India’s ability to manipulate water flows is growing, endangering the security, economy and livelihoods of Pakistan’s 240 million people,” he said.
He also said India had stopped sharing hydrological data and joint monitoring mechanisms mandated under the treaty, exposing Pakistan to increased risks of floods and droughts, and warned that continued violations could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
Referring to recent decisions of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in June and August 2025, the minister said the court had confirmed the continued validity of the Indus Waters Treaty and its binding dispute settlement mechanisms.
“These decisions leave no ambiguity. The treaty is alive and its provisions remain binding,” he said, criticizing India for refusing to participate in arbitration and neutral expert proceedings.
The minister also cited a recent announcement by UN special rapporteurs expressing concern that India’s actions risk violating human rights, including the rights to water, food, livelihood and a healthy environment.
He said Pakistan had raised the issue repeatedly in the UN Security Council and urged the international community to pressure India to restore the treaty, refrain from unilateral actions and uphold international law.
“Pakistan remains committed to peaceful resolution of disputes,” he said, adding, “but will not compromise the existential water rights of its people. Water is life and cannot be weaponized.”
“India continues to build illegal dams in sheer disregard of treaty obligations, to impose the ‘fait accompli’. With the building of dams, India’s capacity to store and manipulate water also increases, jeopardizing Pakistan’s security, economy and the livelihoods of 240 million people in Pakistan.”
He said allowing India to violate treaty obligations with impunity would set a dangerous precedent, as the country undermined the treaty’s own dispute settlement mechanism by refusing to participate in the arbitral tribunal and neutral expert proceedings.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the IWT was a binding legal instrument and any unilateral violation would threaten the inviolability of international treaties and pose a serious threat to regional peace and security, principles of good neighborliness and norms governing relations between states.
He said the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in its recent decisions of June and August 2025, confirmed the continued validity of the IWT and its binding dispute settlement mechanisms.
“These decisions leave no ambiguity. The Indus Waters Treaty is alive and its provisions remain binding on the parties. Indian impunity must not be accepted by the international community.”
Dar reiterated that Pakistan’s National Security Committee had declared that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water to Pakistan under the treaty would be considered an “act of war”.
He urged the international community to take notice of India’s continued disregard of a bilateral treaty and advise India to act responsibly in accordance with international law and established norms.
He said that the bellicose statements of the Indian leadership clearly demonstrated Indian intentions and plans to weaponize water with the aim of causing harm to Pakistan, which was also repeatedly conveyed to the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary General as well as the President of the UN General Assembly to play their due role.
“Let me assure you that Pakistan remains committed to peaceful resolution of disputes and issues with India but will not compromise on the existential water rights of its people,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister urged the international community, especially the members of the United Nations Security Council, to take immediate steps to resolve this situation and call on India to immediately restore the treaty, stop the weaponization of water, uphold international law and treaty obligations, and refrain from undermining the peace and stability of South Asia.
