By Imran Nasir

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Friday accused India of "weaponizing water" and warned that Islamabad already declared that any attempt to stop or divert treaty-protected flows would be considered an “act of war.”

Addressing the diplomatic corps in Islamabad, Pakistan top diplomat Ishaq Dar said he had convened the urgent briefing to draw attention to what he described as a grave situation with far-reaching implications for regional security and the sanctity of international treaties.

He recalled that in April this year India unilaterally put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, a move Pakistan says is in gross contravention of international law, particularly Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

Dar said Pakistan is now witnessing material breaches by India that strike at the heart of the decades-old treaty, with escalating consequences for regional stability. He pointed to unusual and abrupt variations in the flow of the River Chenab on two occasions this year — from April 30 to May 21, 2025, and again between December 7 and 15, 2025 — which he said indicate unilateral releases of water by India.

“These variations in water flow are of extreme concern for Pakistan,” Dar told ambassadors and high commissioners, adding that the releases were carried out without any prior notification, data or information sharing as required under the treaty.

He said the developments prompted Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner to formally seek clarification from his Indian counterpart in accordance with the treaty’s provisions, with further technical details to be shared by Pakistan’s secretary for water resources.

However, Dar stressed that beyond the technical aspects, India’s recent actions clearly exemplify the weaponization of water — an issue Pakistan has consistently raised with the international community.

He warned that India’s manipulation of water at a critical stage of Pakistan’s agricultural cycle directly threatens lives and livelihoods, as well as the country’s food and economic security.

Calling on India to respond to Pakistan’s queries, Dar urged New Delhi to refrain from unilateral manipulation of river flows and to fulfill all its obligations under the IWT in both letter and spirit.

He said the latest developments were not isolated incidents but part of a broader, systemic effort by India to undermine the treaty.

Dar also criticized India’s construction of hydropower projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle, saying their design features blatantly violate the treaty’s technical specifications.

He alleged that India continues to build illegal dams in disregard of its obligations to create a “fait accompli,” increasing its capacity to store and manipulate water in ways that endanger Pakistan’s security, economy and the livelihoods of its 240 million people.

He further accused India of halting the sharing of advance information, hydrological data and joint oversight mechanisms required by the treaty, exposing Pakistan to heightened risks of floods and droughts. Such conduct, he warned, could trigger a humanitarian crisis and contravenes international human rights and humanitarian law, while also undermining progress toward global goals on poverty and hunger.

Dar said India is also subverting the treaty’s dispute-resolution mechanisms by refusing to participate in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration and the Neutral Expert, pursuing what he described as a deliberate strategy to sabotage arbitration under the IWT. He noted that the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in decisions issued in June and August 2025, reaffirmed the continuing validity of the treaty and its binding dispute-resolution mechanisms.

“These rulings leave no ambiguity,” Dar said. “The Indus Waters Treaty is alive, and its provisions remain binding on the parties.”

He also referred to communications made public on December 15 by several UN special procedures and mandate holders, which raised serious legal, human rights and humanitarian concerns over India’s actions.

Dar cited remarks by India’s home minister in June declaring that the treaty would “never” be restored and that waters would instead be diverted within India, warning that Pakistan’s National Security Committee has said any attempt to stop or divert treaty-protected flows would be considered an “act of war.”

Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, Dar said Islamabad would not compromise on the existential water rights of its people.

He urged the international community, particularly members of the UN Security Council, to take immediate steps to address the situation and press India to restore the treaty, uphold international law and refrain from actions that threaten peace in South Asia.

“Water is life and cannot be weaponized,” he said.