Dar urges water rights protection after Indus Water Treaty suspension by India

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar led a high-level meeting to address the implications of India’s recent suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.

The meeting included key officials – the Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, and the Attorney General Mansoor Awan, along with other senior experts.

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Dar condemned India’s action as a violation of international law, stating that the unilateral suspension undermined established diplomatic norms.

He said that the treaty was important for regional stability, stating that the Indus river system was essential for the livelihoods of around 240 million Pakistanis.

“We will take all necessary measures to safeguard our water rights”, Dar declared, criticising India’s approach of using water as a political tool.

The Indus Water Treaty is a critical agreement between the populous, nuclear-armed neighbours that governs water-sharing rights. It was signed in 1960 and even survived three wars between India and Pakistan.

The treaty allocates the waters of Indus and its tributaries, granting Pakistan rights to Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. Meanwhile, India has rights to the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers.

The Indus Water Treaty was designed to prevent conflicts over water resources and promote cooperation between the two heavily populated counties.

Tensions escalated following an attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir on April 22, where gunmen killed 26 tourists. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF). India without evidence accused Pakistan of the attack and suspended the treaty, besides expelling Pakistani diplomats.

In response, Pakistan suspended the Simla Agreement and other bilateral agreements. The government also suspended trade with India, closed its airspace to Indian flights and warned that any diversion of water allocated to Pakistan would be considered an act of war.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced plans to explore all avenues to ensure the uninterrupted flow of rivers designated to Pakistan under the treaty.

China expressed support for Pakistan, advocating for measures to de-escalate tensions and calling for a thorough investigation into the Pahalgam attack.