ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that Pakistan believes in peace but will not allow India to weaponise water, adding that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) cannot be unilaterally altered, rescinded, revoked or held in abeyance.
Speaking at the launch of a report titled “Weaponising Waters: Historical, Legal, and Strategic Dimensions of IWT Suspension” at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Tarar said the 1960 treaty could not be unilaterally changed or suspended.
The Indus Waters Treaty can neither be unilaterally altered, amended, revoked, nor held in abeyance -Attaullah Tarar#IndusWatersTreaty #WaterRights #InternationalLaw #AttaullahTarar pic.twitter.com/03NRe0hwpx
— APP (@appcsocialmedia) September 30, 2026
“We are a peaceful nation, but we cannot allow India to weaponise water because it is the basic right of the 240 million people of Pakistan,” Tarar said.
“If a state can unilaterally put a binding international water treaty in abeyance despite established dispute resolution mechanisms, the implications extend to transboundary water governance across the world,” Tarar warned, adding that it may have implications for countries sharing water under similar frameworks.
He said a Court of Arbitration had upheld Pakistan’s position on the treaty, strengthening Islamabad’s legal argument that the treaty could not be altered through unilateral action.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague issued an award on the status of the IWT on August 31, saying the treaty remained in force. The PCA also ordered India to suspend hydro projects.
In August 2025, the Court of Arbitration upheld Pakistan’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty -Attaullah Tarar#IndusWatersTreaty #CourtOfArbitration #WaterRights #AttaullahTarar pic.twitter.com/2t1iAsVFXz
— APP (@appcsocialmedia) September 30, 2026
India placed the treaty in abeyance after 26 people were killed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, accusing Pakistan of involvement. Pakistan condemned the incident and rejected the allegation, while intense fighting followed in May before a US-brokered ceasefire.
Tarar said Pakistan had approached the issue diplomatically by engaging the international community and presenting its position before relevant forums.
The Information Minister said the Indus Waters Treaty is an instrument of peace and stability for the region. He said any attempt to weaponise water or create controversy around the Indus Waters Treaty is highly condemnable and unjustifiable on legal, diplomatic and moral grounds.
The Indus Waters Treaty is an instrument of peace and stability in the region -Attaullah Tarar#IndusWatersTreaty #PeaceAndStability #WaterCooperation #AttaullahTarar pic.twitter.com/zoN5SwvJEz
— APP (@appcsocialmedia) September 30, 2026
He recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, had described the IWT as the lifeblood of the people and the region. The prime minister had also warned that any attempt to usurp Pakistan’s water rights would be treated as an act of war.
Tarar said Pakistan’s position on the treaty was clear and had received support from several countries, stressing that the IWT remained an instrument of peace and stability.
He said any attempt to weaponise water or create controversy around the treaty was legally, diplomatically and morally unjustifiable.
The minister also urged the international community to recognise the wider implications of allowing a state to unilaterally hold a binding water treaty in abeyance despite its dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Such a precedent, he said, could undermine transboundary water governance globally and affect other countries that rely on shared-water treaties.
Tarar reiterated that Pakistan would continue its international engagement and defend its vital national interests in accordance with international law.
Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan will continue to engage with the international community on the matter and continue to defend its vital national interests in accordance with international law.
The Indus Waters Treaty allocates the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — to India, while the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — are allocated to Pakistan. The 1960 water-sharing agreement has also established mechanisms for data-sharing and dispute resolution.
