By Our Correspondent: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday warned that India’s ongoing hydroelectric and water diversion projects on the Indus River System could enable New Delhi to establish “hydro-hegemony,” posing a serious threat to regional water security and the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Speaking at an international seminar on transboundary water resources, Dar said India was pursuing at least 17 projects on rivers covered under the treaty, including hydroelectric plants and diversion schemes on the Indus, Chenab, and Ravi rivers. He cautioned that these projects could significantly alter the natural flow of rivers and disrupt the water-sharing framework between the two countries.
Dar stressed that Pakistan has always upheld the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, and sought to resolve disputes through dialogue and international legal mechanisms. However, he expressed concern over India’s unilateral move to suspend the treaty and what he described as “illegal actions” aimed at increasing control over shared water resources.
“River systems are lifelines for millions of people and must never be used as instruments of coercion,” he said, warning that any attempt to deprive populations of their rightful share of water could lead to severe humanitarian consequences.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomacy, international law, and peaceful dispute resolution, urging the global community to safeguard treaty obligations and promote cooperation in managing transboundary water resources.
