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• Accuses Delhi of seeking ‘hydro-hegemony’ through river diversion schemes
• Reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue, legal mechanisms
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday warned that India was pursuing “at least 17” projects aimed at significantly altering the Indus River system and equipping it with what he described as “tools for hydro-hegemony”.
The deputy prime minister, in a recorded keynote address at a seminar titled “Transboundary Water Resources: A Weaponised Global Common”, said that responsible states act “within established legal frameworks” rather than abandoning them — referring to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between Pakistan and India that has been unilaterally suspended by India since May last year.
“The treaty envisages the peaceful resolution of disputes within its own framework,” he said, highlighting that it survived “three major conflicts and several other challenges” over the decades. He also noted that Pakistan had previously voiced concerns over “certain actions by India” under the treaty.
Mr Dar said Pakistan had consistently upheld the values enshrined in the United Nations charter, and remained committed to its principles as well as UN resolutions.
“Consistent with the treaty’s provisions, we sought settlement through international mechanisms and respected decisions that even fell short of our expectations,” he said.
“At no stage was the outright unilateral abrogation of the treaty considered a viable course of action by the other side. It is important to underscore that our concerns are not merely based on Indian statements,” the deputy prime minister stressed, stating that India had “followed up its belligerent statements with illegal actions”.
These included projects to create reservoirs, expansion of existing structures and, “most alarmingly”, diversion projects on the Indus, Chenab and Ravi rivers.
“In total, at least 17 such projects that will drastically alter the river system as a whole, giving India the tools for hydro-hegemony that it so desires,” Mr Dar said.
“River systems are not merely waterways — they are lifelines. They carry profound historical significance and serve as immediate sources of sustenance and survival,” he noted. India’s stated policy to intentionally deprive 240 million people of their rightful access to water represented a “catastrophe in the making of unparalleled magnitude”, he said.
Terming the sanctity of treaties “the bedrock of the international order”, the deputy prime minister declared respect for treaty obligations to be not just a regional concern but a “global imperative”.
“Pakistan remains committed to resolving all issues through dialogue, diplomacy and the mechanism provided under international law,” he added.
“Our position is guided not by confrontation, but by the conviction that lasting solutions can only emerge through cooperation and respect for mutually agreed obligations,” he said.
Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026
