Pakistan Warns Of ‘Profound Consequences’ If Indus Water Share Is Denied

Pakistan has warned that any move to deny it waters allocated under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “profound consequences” for regional peace and security, sharpening its dispute with India over the decades old water sharing agreement.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the remarks while virtually addressing a seminar titled ‘The Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at the Crossroads’, organised by the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington.

Dar said the issue went beyond bilateral relations and concerned the sanctity of treaties and confidence in international law. He maintained that Pakistan had consistently sought to resolve differences through dialogue, diplomacy and mechanisms provided under the treaty.

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of waters from six rivers of the Indus basin. Under the agreement, the three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, were allocated to India, while the three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, were allocated to Pakistan, subject to treaty provisions.

India placed the treaty in “abeyance” in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack. Dar argued that the treaty contains no provision allowing either country to unilaterally suspend or place it in abeyance. He said neither side could extinguish obligations undertaken under international law through a unilateral political declaration.

For Pakistan, Dar said, the issue is closely tied to agriculture, food security, energy production, livelihoods and economic development. He described the Indus Basin as the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis.

Dar also highlighted growing climate and water security pressures, including changing precipitation patterns, glacial retreat, floods, droughts and increasing hydrological variability. He said Pakistan is already among the world’s most water stressed countries.

“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,” Dar said.

India, however, has maintained that the treaty remains in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued support for cross border terrorism. New Delhi announced the measure along with other punitive steps a day after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

The latest exchange highlights how the Indus water dispute has expanded beyond water sharing into a wider debate involving regional stability, international law and water security.