Ishaq Dar Goes Into Action on Indus Waters Treaty Issue| Modi In Trouble | 18 June 2026 | NEO News

[00:00:00]crucial issues in international law, climate change and global peace and security. As the seminar title trans boundary water resources a weaponized global common, it suggests the governance of transboundary waters through agreements, treaties and mutual understandings is of global importance.

[00:00:26]Shared resources require cooperative management through agreed frameworks.

[00:00:32]Otherwise, competing interests can turn them into sources of conflict and weaponization as increasingly seen today. As the former secretary general of the United Nation, Mr. Dr. Kufi Anan said, I quote, "Fierce national competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict. But the water crisis we face are more often crisis of management and governance rather than absolute scarcity. shared waters can be a pathway to peace and regional integration rather than a catalyst for war."

[00:01:17]The very fact that we need to have this discussion in this day and age is in itself dismay. It serves as a reminder that peaceful coexistence cannot be taken for granted. It must be sustained through respect for the treaties, agreements and multilateral frameworks that enable states to manage differences through cooperation rather than confrontation.

[00:01:46]Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan has consistently upheld the values enshrined in the UN charter and has remained committed to its principles and relevant United Nation resolutions.

[00:01:58]It was in this spirit that Pakistan signed the Indis Water Treaty with India in 1960 establishing a framework for the utilization of the six rivers of the Indis river system. The treaty envisages the peaceful resolution of disputes within its own framework. It is a testament to the enduring quality of the treaty that it survived three major conflicts and several other challenges over the decades. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is important to acknowledge that Pakistan has previously voiced concerns over certain actions by India under the treaty. Consistent with the treaties provisions, we sought settlement through international mechanisms and respected decisions even they fell short of our expectations.

[00:02:53]At no stage was the outright unilateral abrogation of the treaty considered a viable course of action by other side.

[00:03:03]responsible states act within established legal frameworks rather than abunding these. And yet today we find ourselves confronted with precisely such a challenge. It is important to underscore that our concerns are not merely based on Indian statements. India has followed up its belligerent statements with illegal actions. These include projects to create reservoirs such as Saval Kot, Kitha, Kawar etc. The expansion of existing structures such as Banglar and Salal and most alarmingly diversion projects on the Indas, Chanab and Rai rivers. In total, at least 17 such projects that will drastically alter the river system as a whole, giving India the tools for hydro hedge money that it so desires. Ladies and gentlemen, as you will appreciate, river systems are not merely waterways. They are life lifelines.

[00:04:10]They carry profound historical significance and serve as immediate sources of sustenance and survival. One of the world's oldest continuous human civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization, which subsequently nurtured the Gandhara civilization and gave rise to numerous cultural and historical developments faces an unprecedented threat today. The stated policy of our eastern neighbor to intentionally deprive 240 million people of their rightful access to water represents a catastrophe in the making of unparallel magnitude.

[00:04:56]Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, water must never be viewed as an instrument of coercion. It is a shared resource, a common responsibility and ultimately a prerequisite for human dignity and sustainable development. The future of transboundary hotel governance must therefore be anchored in cooperation and respect for international law. It is important to underscore that this issue should not be viewed as one confined to South Asia.

[00:05:27]The sanctity of treaties is the bedrock of the international order. Europe itself offers compelling examples of how the faithful implementation of transpondary water agreements has enabled states to share water resources cooperatively and to promote regional stability and prosperity. Respect for treaty obligations is therefore not merely a regional concern but a global imperative. Pakistan remains committed to resolving all issues through dialogue, diplomacy and the mechanism provided under international law. 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. Furthermore, Pakistan finds itself confronting this challenge at a time when it is already disproportionately affected by the climate change. Despite contributing less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan remains among the most climate vulnerable countries in the world. This is a moment that calls for enhanced international cooperation and collaboration on water related issues. I hope that today's discussions will underscore the importance of cooperation in the management of trans boundary water resources using the industry as a case study while also examining other regions and river system that may offer valuable lessons and insights.

[00:07:09]Let us reaffirm today that shared waters should unite nations rather than divide them and that cooperation not coercion must remain the guiding principle of trans boundary water governance. I thank you all for your participation in in these important discussions. Good good afternoon and thank you for B.