Pakistan warns that denying its IWT water share threatens regional stability

In a video-address to the International Water Symposium in Vienna, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar cautioned that attempts to deprive Pakistan of its legally allocated water under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty would have serious repercussions for regional peace and stability. He stressed that water is essential for human survival, economic development and environmental health, and that the Indus River System sustains the lives of more than 250 million people in Pakistan.

Dar warned that shared rivers create permanent interdependence, and that the treaty’s legal framework must govern water use rather than become a lever of political coercion. He accused India of unilaterally placing the treaty in abeyance in April 2025, a move not permitted by the agreement. Dar reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to defend its water rights, warning that undermining them would affect food security, energy production and broader bilateral relations.