Pakistan has strongly warned that India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) could push the region toward a serious humanitarian and economic crisis, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continue to rise after April’s Pahalgam attack.
During a detailed briefing to foreign diplomats, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance as a dangerous act of “weaponising water,” stressing that it directly threatens Pakistan’s food system, economy, and the livelihoods of millions.
Calling the situation an Indus Water Treaty crisis, Dar said India’s actions go far beyond politics and strike at the survival needs of ordinary Pakistanis.
Dar warned that any manipulation of river flows during Pakistan’s critical agricultural cycles could have devastating consequences.
“Indian manipulation of water at a critical time of our agriculture cycle directly threatens lives, livelihoods, and the food and economic security of our citizens,” he said.
He emphasized that millions of people across Pakistan depend on the Indus river system for farming, drinking water, sanitation, and maintaining healthy ecosystems. Disruptions, he added, undermine basic human rights, including the right to food, work, and an adequate standard of living.
The foreign minister also pointed out that India has halted the sharing of hydrological data and disrupted joint monitoring mechanisms under the treaty, further escalating mistrust and instability in the region.
RELATED: India reignites water war with Pakistan by manipulating Chenab River flow
Pakistan’s concerns were echoed a day earlier by Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, who revealed that authorities had observed sudden and unusual variations in the flow of the River Chenab since December 7.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, held an urgent briefing for the Diplomatic Corps on India’s persistent material breaches of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) December 19, 2025
India’s repeated manipulation of water flows, construction of illegal… pic.twitter.com/JGD9s3CCfi
Islamabad has asked the international community to take serious notice of what it calls India’s continued disregard for a binding international agreement, warning that the Indus Water Treaty crisis could worsen if unchecked.
Addressing legal aspects, DPM Dar said the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) reaffirmed the validity of the Indus Water Treaty in its June and August 2025 rulings. According to the court, the treaty remains fully binding on both Pakistan and India, and New Delhi cannot claim immunity from its obligations.
“The Indus Water Treaty is a cornerstone for peace and stability in South Asia,” Dar said, adding that there is no clause in the agreement allowing unilateral suspension or termination.
While reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to resolving disputes peacefully, Dar made it clear that the country would not compromise on its water rights. He urged the international community, particularly members of the UN Security Council, to step in and help prevent further escalation.
Signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, the Indus Water Treaty allocates the eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—to India, while Pakistan receives rights over the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Despite multiple conflicts over decades, the treaty has survived as a rare example of cooperation between the two rivals.
However, following the April 2025 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, India accused Pakistan of involvement and unilaterally suspended the treaty—an allegation Islamabad firmly denies.
