ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated on Tuesday that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be amended, revoked, suspended, or set aside unilaterally. He emphasized that any changes to the treaty must be made through mutual consensus, as it was originally established.
While speaking at an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, the minister said the conference was “not merely discussing a treaty”; rather, it was about the lifeline of more than 240 million people in Pakistan.
The minister said that water is life and “Indus has given life to Pakistan.”
The minister said that the treaty has “endured wars, political upheavals and prolonged periods of tension.”
“Its resilience, for more than six decades, demonstrates an enduring truth that cooperation, dialogue and adherence to international commitments remain the only sustainable path to peace,” Tarar said.
He said that India’s failed attempt to unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance has led to international embarrassment for India at various forums, including legal ones.
"When a one-sided attempt is made to hold this treaty in abeyance, the moral, social, legal foundation of that attempt is extremely weak,” he said, adding that any structure that has a weak foundation would fall flat on its face.
“The weaponization of water or attempts to unilaterally alter established arrangements undermine not only regional peace and stability but also the broader framework of international law,” he said.
The minister said that Pakistan's collective future depends on transforming water from a source of contention into a catalyst for cooperation.
“History teaches us that rivers do not divide civilizations; they connect them. Rivers transcend borders, politics and generations,” he said, adding that humanity’s shared challenges demand shared solutions.
He said that Islamabad has consistently demonstrated its commitment to peaceful engagement, constructive dialogue, and the faithful implementation of the treaty. However, he said, if an attempt is made to stop Pakistan’s water, our national leadership is resolved to respond effectively to restore water.
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