Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has issued an uncompromising warning to New Delhi regarding Pakistan’s water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). He asserted that any violation of the treaty by India would be taken as an act of war, declaring that Pakistan will protect the water rights of its 240 million population.
Addressing a passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, the Prime Minister delivered a definitive warning that now anchors Islamabad’s strategic stance as Indian attempts to weaponize water continues.
“Let there be no doubt at all,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared. “Any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty, would be responded to with full force and might.”
He further added, “India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty is tantamount to a declaration of war. We will fully defend the water rights of our population of 240 million.”
The explicit warning serves as the backdrop for a landmark, daylong international conference hosted by Pakistan on Tuesday. The high-profile summit, titled “Indus Waters Treaty: An Instrument of Peace and Regional Stability,” brings together local and international experts on water and international law to reinforce Islamabad’s case against India’s problematic posturing on the decades-old water-sharing agreement.
The conference follows New Delhi’s decision to place the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty “in abeyance” following the 2025 conflict with Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, while addressing the seminar emphasized on the importance of the waterways, noting: “We are talking about our lifeline, not a treaty.”
The critical importance of the Prime Minister’s firm stance was further underscored by Russian expert Dr Roksolana Zygon. Supporting Pakistan’s position on the treaty she noted, “India’s statement about depriving Pakistan of water is a violation of international law” and an attempt to “use water as a weapon.”
