Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has said that for Pakistan, water is not just a natural resource but a fundamental issue related to national security, economy and public life. He said that Pakistan will continue its efforts under international law, diplomacy and treaty mechanisms to protect its water rights.
Addressing an international seminar on the Indus Water Treaty, he said that respect for international agreements is indispensable for the stability of the international system. If a tradition of weakening an agreement or unilaterally deviating from it is established, its effects will not be limited to the countries concerned but will also affect global trust and the legal system.
Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan’s agricultural economy, food security, hydroelectric power generation and overall economic activities are largely dependent on the water of the western rivers. That is why maintaining the natural flow of these rivers is in Pakistan’s fundamental national interests.
He said that Pakistan believes in cooperation, dialogue and diplomatic engagements instead of tension in the region. According to him, sustainable peace in South Asia is possible only when all countries abide by international agreements and agreed principles.
The Deputy Prime Minister urged India to avoid such steps that would promote mistrust or tension in the region. He said that force or pressure is not the solution to problems, but dialogue and diplomacy can be the basis for lasting peace.
He said that after India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan’s National Security Committee had taken a detailed review of the situation. In the meeting, the civil and military leadership expressed their determination that all necessary steps would be taken to protect Pakistan’s legitimate water rights.
Ishaq Dar said that if there was an attempt to obstruct the flow of water from Pakistan’s share or limit the rights enjoyed under the treaty, the matter would be viewed very seriously. He clarified that this decision was taken with national consensus.
At the end of his address, he said that Pakistan, as a responsible state, will continue to rely on international laws, agreements, and diplomatic channels in the future, while continuing to play every possible role to protect the water rights of its people, national interests, and regional peace.