Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has expressed Pakistan's resolve to protect the sanctity of the Indus Waters Treaty by all means. Addressing the opening session of the seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad today, he said the Indus is our lifeline and vowed to protect the inalienable right of 240 million people of Pakistan to the waters of the Indus River System.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Information Minister stated it is a collective responsibility to ensure that these waters remain a symbol of peace and shared prosperity for generations to come. He emphasized that Pakistan stands firm in its determination to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people who are linked to the Indus River.
Attaullah Tarar stressed that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be amended, revoked, suspended, or held in abeyance unilaterally. He said the pact came into being after mutual consensus and only mutual consensus can lead to any amendment. India's failed attempt to unilaterally hold this treaty in abeyance has led to international embarrassment for India at various forums, including legal ones.
Highlighting the challenge posed by climate change and water scarcity, the Information Minister emphasized that protecting the Indus Waters Treaty is of the utmost essence. He noted that the weaponization of water or attempts to unilaterally alter established arrangements undermine regional peace and stability, as well as the broader framework of international law.
He stated that Pakistan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to peaceful engagement and constructive dialogue, as well as the faithful implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty. He warned that if any attempt is made to stop the water of Pakistan, the leadership stands resolved to respond effectively to restore the water for the people of Pakistan.
Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik highlighted the importance of the Indus river system for Pakistan's economy, agriculture, and food security, regretting the manipulation of water flows by the neighboring country. He emphasized the need for a covenant that imposes economic, political, and diplomatic consequences on countries found to be manipulating water flows to the detriment of downstream countries.
Roxolana Zigon, Head of the Scientific Centre of International and Strategic Studies at the University of World Civilization, Moscow, stated that India is weaponizing water through infrastructure projects. She mentioned that Indian unilateral actions such as constructing dams or shrinking water supplies threaten the food security and economic stability of Pakistan.
Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Mehar Ali Shah, highlighted the Treaty as a national security matter, not merely a hydrology issue for Pakistan. He stated that Pakistan's restraint has been deliberate, but water, food, livelihood, and social stability are not negotiable abstractions. He made it clear that Pakistan has publicly defined the strategic threshold for any attempt to stop or divert the treaty waters belonging to Islamabad.
Addressing the seminar, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said any move to block, divert, manipulate, or control Pakistan's rightful waters will not be treated as routine engineering. He emphasized that the Indus cannot be held hostage, and the treaty cannot be suspended by arrogance. Bhutto Zardari warned that by weaponizing water, India is not merely violating a treaty but is pushing South Asia towards the edge of strategic catastrophe, and Pakistan must respond militarily if it sees an attack on its rivers as a military assault.