Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar accused India of weaponizing water resources during a virtual address at a Brussels conference on Thursday. Dar alleged that India’s expansion of reservoirs and diversion projects on the Indus, Chenab, and Ravi rivers violates the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and threatens regional stability by establishing what he termed “hydro-hegemony.”
Why the Indus Waters Treaty is at risk
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty serves as the primary legal framework governing the use of six rivers in the Indus basin, which support hundreds of millions of people. According to Dar, India is currently pursuing at least 17 projects, including new reservoirs and diversion schemes, that he claims will drastically alter the natural river flows. While Pakistan maintains that the treaty remains in force because there is no mechanism for unilateral withdrawal, India declared in May 2025 that it had suspended its membership. New Delhi’s decision followed accusations that Islamabad supported a deadly attack on tourists in India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), a charge that Pakistan has categorically denied.
How Pakistan views the regional impact
Dar characterized the rivers as “lifelines” that carry critical economic, historical, and cultural weight for the region. The Deputy Prime Minister warned that water should never be utilized as an instrument of coercion. He noted that Pakistan has previously raised concerns through international legal mechanisms and has historically accepted rulings, even when those decisions did not align with the country’s expectations. By contrast, he argued that India’s current infrastructure projects represent a departure from established legal frameworks. Pakistan has previously stated that any attempt to unilaterally alter the flow of cross-border waterways could be viewed as an “act of war.”
What may happen next for water security
The diplomatic standoff over the Indus basin could lead to prolonged instability if both nations fail to find a path back to treaty-based cooperation. As climate change remains a pressing concern—with Pakistan noting it contributes less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions yet remains highly vulnerable—the pressure on shared water resources is likely to intensify. Future developments may depend on whether international mediation can persuade both states to return to dialogue. If the current trend of project expansion continues without a bilateral or international resolution, the risk to regional water security and diplomatic relations may escalate, potentially complicating future efforts to manage the basin’s resources collectively.
