Tarar rejects India’s ‘weaponisation of water’, says IWT cannot be suspended unilaterally
At a glance
- Information Minister Atta Tarar says IWT cannot be unilaterally revoked or suspended.
- He accused India of attempting to 'weaponise water' as a political tool.
- Pakistan maintains any attempt by India to block its water share would be an act of war.
Story so far
Tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) persist after India moved to put the accord in abeyance in April 2025. Pakistan has consistently stated that the treaty cannot be unilaterally altered and has warned that any attempt to block its share of water would be considered an act of war. In August 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration upheld Pakistan's position that the treaty remains in force.
Latest development
Speaking at a report launch in Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be unilaterally suspended by India. He rejected what he termed India's attempt to 'weaponise water' and maintained the treaty is legally binding on both parties.
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Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan's position that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) cannot be unilaterally amended, revoked, or suspended by India. He rejected what he termed India's attempt to use water as a political tool.
The minister's remarks were made while addressing the launch of a special report, "Weaponising Waters: Historical, Legal, and Strategic Dimensions of IWT Suspension," at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has warned that India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance could have implications for global transboundary water governance. Speaking at an event in Islamabad on Wednesday, he urged the international community to take note of the “wider precedent” being set.
The minister's comments follow India's unilateral decision to suspend the accord in April 2025, which was reportedly followed by a brief military conflict between the two nations in May 2025.
“We are a peaceful nation, but we cannot allow India to weaponise water because it is the basic right of the 240 million people of Pakistan,” Tarar stated. He argued that if a state can unilaterally sideline a binding international water treaty, it has implications for all countries sharing water under similar frameworks.
Tarar reiterated that the IWT is a legally binding instrument that cannot be unilaterally revoked, rescinded, or altered by either party.
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