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Ishaq Dar raised concerns over Indian projects on the Indus river system at a Brussels seminar. He said the dispute should be handled through the treaty framework, dialogue and international law.
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Islamabad,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2026 19:26 IST
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has raised concern over Indian projects on the Indus river system, saying such steps could affect natural river flows and create risks for regional stability and water security. He also said Pakistan remained committed to resolving issues through dialogue, diplomacy and international law.
Speaking through a video link at a seminar organised by the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels and the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, Dar said peaceful coexistence among nations depends on respect for international law, treaty obligations and multilateral frameworks. He also called for greater international cooperation on water security.
According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, Dar "expressed concern over recent Indian reservoir expansion and water diversion projects on the Indus river system, warning that such measures could alter natural river flows, foster hydro-hegemony, and pose serious risks to regional stability and water security". His remarks came after media reports claimed that India was planning projects on the three rivers allotted to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty of 1960.
A day after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 last year, India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance. The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the distribution and use of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.
Dar said, "The treaty (IWT) envisages the peaceful resolution of disputes within its own framework." He added, "Pakistan remains committed to resolving all issues through dialogue, diplomacy and the mechanism provided under international law," and said, "Our position is guided not by confrontation, but by the conviction that lasting solutions can only emerge through cooperation and respect for mutually agreed obligations." In essence, Dar used the seminar to voice concern over the Indus river projects while restating Pakistan's position that disputes should be addressed through the treaty framework, dialogue and international law.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 18, 2026 19:26 IST
