Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says any attempt to deprive Pakistan of the waters rightfully allocated to it under the Indus Waters Treaty would have profound consequences for regional peace and security.
He was virtually addressing a seminar on "The Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at the Crossroads," organized by Pakistan's Embassy in Washington.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful settlement because lasting peace can only rest upon sovereign equality, mutual respect and the faithful implementation of international obligations. At the same time, there should be no misunderstanding about the seriousness with which Pakistan regards its water rights.
He said Pakistan will safeguard its legitimate rights and interests under the Treaty and international law.
Ishaq Dar said India's unilateral decision in April 2025 to place the Indus Waters Treaty "in abeyance" has no basis in the Treaty. He said the Treaty contains no provision permitting either party to unilaterally suspend or place it in abeyance. Nor can either party, through a unilateral political declaration, extinguish obligations solemnly undertaken under international law.
He said Pakistan's position is therefore clear and consistent that the Indus Waters Treaty remains valid, binding and fully operative.
The Deputy Prime Minister said what is at stake, therefore, extends well beyond India and Pakistan.
He said the Indus Basin is the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis. Pakistan's agriculture, food security, energy production, livelihoods and economic development are deeply dependent on the waters of the Indus River system.
Ishaq Dar said water security for Pakistan is therefore inseparable from economic security, food security and, ultimately, national security.
He said the implications of unilateral interference with such an arrangement are consequently profound. They not only affect the stability of South Asia but also create a dangerous precedent for treaty relations everywhere.
