WASHINGTON
\nDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said any attempt to deprive Pakistan of the waters rightfully allocated to it under the Indus Waters Treaty would have profound consequences for regional peace and security.
\nHe was virtually addressing a seminar on \u201cThe Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at the Crossroads,\u201d organized by Pakistan\u2019s Embassy in Washington.
\nThe Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful settlement because lasting peace can only rest upon sovereign equality, mutual respect and the faithful implementation of international obligations.
\nAt the same time, there should be no misunderstanding about the seriousness with which Pakistan regards its water rights.
\nHe said Pakistan will safeguard its legitimate rights and interests under the Treaty and international law.
\nIshaq Dar said India\u2019s unilateral decision in April 2025 to place the Indus Waters Treaty \u201cin abeyance\u201d has no basis in the Treaty.
\nHe said the Treaty contains no provision permitting either party to unilaterally suspend or place it in abeyance. Nor can either party, through a unilateral political declaration, extinguish obligations solemnly undertaken under international law.
\nHe said Pakistan\u2019s position is therefore clear and consistent that the Indus Waters Treaty remains valid, binding and fully operative.
\nThe Deputy Prime Minister said what is at stake, therefore, extends well beyond India and Pakistan.
\nHe said the Indus Basin is the lifeline of more than 250 million Pakistanis. Pakistan\u2019s agriculture, food security, energy production, livelihoods and economic development are deeply dependent on the waters of the Indus River system.
\nIshaq Dar said water security for Pakistan is therefore inseparable from economic security, food security and, ultimately, national security.
\nHe said the implications of unilateral interference with such an arrangement are consequently profound. They not only affect the stability of South Asia but also create a dangerous precedent for treaty relations everywhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said any attempt to deprive Pakistan of the waters rightfully allocated to it under the Indus Waters Treaty would have profound consequences for regional peace and security. He was virtually addressing a seminar on \u201cThe Indus Waters Treaty: South Asian Security at the Crossroads,\u201d organized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-564555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n