Pakistan's Senate chairman warns blocking water share is act of war
Yousaf Raza Gilani said Pakistan would never allow water to be used as an instrument of geopolitical pressure.
Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani warned on Monday that any attempt to block, suspend or divert Pakistan's legitimate share of water would amount to an act of war, the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Gilani made the remarks at the inaugural ceremony of the Sixth Pakistan Water Week 2026 in Islamabad, where he said any such move would invite a direct response.
He said Pakistan would never allow water to be weaponised or used as a tool of geopolitical pressure.
Gilani said the country's water security, sovereignty and national interests were non-negotiable.
He asserted that the Indus Waters Treaty remained a binding international agreement, and that no party could unilaterally alter, suspend or revoke its provisions.
Gilani said Pakistan's water security was closely linked to its agricultural economy, food security, environmental sustainability and overall economic development.
He called for greater investment in water conservation, efficient irrigation systems, modern water management technologies, research and climate-resilient farming practices.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, governs the sharing of the Indus river system between Pakistan and India.
India has held the treaty in abeyance since April 2025, a step Pakistan has rejected, and the dispute over water flows has remained a major source of tension between the two countries.
Water shortages, glacier melt and erratic rainfall have put growing pressure on Pakistan's farm sector, which depends heavily on the Indus system for irrigation.
