Water is our red line, stopping it will be act of war: Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that water is a red line for Pakistan and that Pakistan will treat any violation of the Indus Waters Treaty as an act of war. He was addressing a joint press conference after delegation-level talks with Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

According to the prime minister, Pakistan has already taken its position to international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly. He said water is the lifeline of humanity, especially for lower riparian countries, and that legally binding agreements must be respected. He said shared water resources should never be made a weapon or a means of political pressure and blackmail. He expressed serious concern over India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty.

According to Arab News Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said the water flowing in every canal, river and sea brings a message of prosperity and development, not of threats and confrontation. There was no immediate response from New Delhi.

The Indus Waters Treaty was concluded in 1960 with the mediation of the World Bank. Under it, the western rivers, the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, went mainly to Pakistan, while the eastern rivers, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, went to India. In April 2025, India announced that it was holding the treaty in abeyance after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which it blames on Pakistan. Islamabad rejects the allegation and says the treaty cannot be suspended unilaterally. Pakistan alleges that India is planning storage, expansion and diversion projects on rivers covered by the treaty. According to Pakistani officials, unusual fluctuations in river flows have been seen in recent months.

According to The Express Tribune, the two countries agreed to raise bilateral trade from $13.9 million to $200 million in two years and signed 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding. President Muizzu’s three-day state visit is the first by a Maldivian president in 11 years and comes on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The prime minister also spoke of Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and its support for Palestine.