Ishaq Dar speaking at an OIC High-Level Event on Peace and Tolerance on the margins of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday accused India of deliberately manipulating river flows in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that New Delhi’s actions threaten regional stability, international law and the livelihoods of millions of people downstream.
Addressing diplomatic corps in Islamabad, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said India’s decision earlier this year to hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance amounted to a “gross contravention” 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 abrupt variations in the flow of 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 data-sharing, as explicitly required under the treaty,” he said, adding that such actions were of “extreme concern” for Pakistan.
The foreign minister said Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner had formally sought clarifications from his Indian counterpart under treaty provisions, warning that India’s conduct amounted to the “weaponisation 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, directly threatening food security, livelihoods and the broader economy.
The minister accused India of systematically undermining the treaty through the construction of hydropower projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle, which he said violated the treaty’s technical specifications, as well as by building dams aimed at 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 halted the sharing of hydrological data and joint oversight mechanisms mandated under the treaty, exposing Pakistan to heightened risks of floods and droughts, and warned that continued violations could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
Referring to recent rulings by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in June and August 2025, the minister said the court had reaffirmed the continuing validity of the Indus Waters Treaty and its binding dispute-resolution mechanisms.
“These decisions leave no ambiguity. The treaty is alive, and its provisions remain binding,” he said, criticising India for refusing to participate in arbitration and neutral expert proceedings.
The minister also cited a recent communication 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 at the UN Security Council and urged the international community to press 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 on the existential water rights of its people. Water is life and cannot be weaponised.”
“India continues to build illegal dams in sheer disregard of the Treaty obligations, to impose ‘fait accompli.’ With building of dams, Indian capacity to store and manipulate water is also increasing, which endangers Pakistan’s security, economy and livelihood of 240 million people of Pakistan.”
He said that allowing India to violate Treaty obligations with impunity would set a dangerous precedent as the country was subverting the Treaty’s own dispute resolution mechanism by refusing to participate in the Court of Arbitration and Neutral Expert Proceedings.
The deputy prime minister highlighted that IWT was a binding legal instrument and any unilateral violation would threaten the inviolability of international treaties and pose serious threats to regional peace and security, principles of good neighborliness and norms that govern inter-state relations.
He said that Permanent Court of Arbitration, in its recent decisions of June and August 2025, reaffirmed the continuing validity of the IWT and its binding dispute-resolution mechanisms.
“These rulings 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 as an “Act of War”.
He urged the international community to take notice of India’s continued disregard of a bilateral treaty and counsel India to act responsibly in accordance with international law and established norms.
He said that the belligerent statements coming from the Indian leadership clearly demonstrated Indian intentions and designs to weaponize water aimed at inflicting harm on Pakistan, which was also repeatedly conveyed to the UN Security Council, UN Secretary General as well as the President of the UN General Assembly to play their due role.
“Let me reassure 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 UN Security Council members, to take immediate steps to address this situation and call on India for the immediate restoration of the Treaty, stop weaponization of water, uphold international law and treaty obligations, and refrain from undermining peace and stability of South Asia.
