ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday warned that India’s expanding network of reservoir and water infrastructure projects could fundamentally alter the Indus river system and provide New Delhi with the tools for as “hydro hegemony.”
In a video message delivered as the keynote address to a seminar in Brussels titled “Transboundary Water Resources: A Weaponised Global Common,” Dar said India had followed “belligerent statements with illegal actions” through the construction and expansion of water projects on rivers shared under the Indus Waters Treaty.
The seminar was organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO in collaboration with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following New Delhi’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after the 2025 Pahalgam incident. Pakistan has repeatedly condemned the move as a violation of international law and the treaty framework, describing any attempt to restrict or manipulate water flows as an act of “water weaponization.”
“India has followed up its belligerent statements with illegal actions,” Dar said.
According to the foreign minister, these actions include reservoir projects such as Sawalkot, Kirthai and Kwar, expansion of existing structures including Baglihar and Salal, and diversion projects on the Indus, Chenab and Ravi rivers.
“In total, at least 17 such projects will drastically alter the river system as a whole, giving India the tools for hydro hegemony that it so desires,” he said.
Dar emphasized that rivers are far more than physical waterways.
“River systems are not merely waterways; they are lifelines,” he said. “They carry profound historical significance and serve as immediate sources of sustenance and survival.”
The foreign minister warned that policies aimed at restricting water access could have far-reaching humanitarian consequences.
“The stated policy of our eastern neighbor to intentionally deprive 240 million people of their rightful access to water represents a catastrophe in the making of unparalleled magnitude,” he said.
Dar stressed that water should never be used as a political tool and described access to water as a shared responsibility of states.
“It is a shared resource, a common responsibility, and ultimately a prerequisite for human dignity and sustainable development,” he said.
According to the Foreign Office, the seminar brought together international experts, policymakers and legal specialists to discuss climate vulnerability, transboundary water governance and the growing risks associated with water insecurity.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Masood Malik, Water Europe Policy Officer Madalena Cepeda, Utrecht University researcher and energy law specialist Cathy Suykens, international arbitration expert Feisal Hussain Naqvi, CEPS Head of Climate Programme Isabel Schekenbach and policy analyst Danish Qayyum participated in the discussions.
The seminar featured two panel discussions focusing on climate-related water vulnerabilities and the legal and diplomatic mechanisms available for managing shared water resources.
Participants examined the challenges facing downstream populations, food security, ecosystems and regional stability, while also discussing the role of international law and cooperation in preventing the weaponization of water resources.
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