Pakistan has warned India that any attempt to block or divert water under the Indus Waters Treaty could lead to military action [1, 2].
The dispute centers on the potential weaponization of water resources between two nuclear-armed neighbors, where river flow is critical for agricultural survival and national security.
During a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty held in Islamabad on June 4, 2024, Pakistani government officials said that India's river-linking project is a breach of international agreements [1, 3]. The project involves the diversion of water from the Chenab River to the Beas River [3].
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, "India’s plan to divert Chenab water to the Beas is a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty" [3]. The treaty, which was signed in 1960 [4], governs the distribution of water from the Indus River system.
Other officials from the Foreign Ministry intensified the rhetoric during the event. A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official said, "This is an act of war" [2].
A spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Office said that the government would not remain passive if its water supply was compromised. The spokesperson said, "If India moves to block our water, we will consider going to war" [1, 2].
The warnings come as Pakistan alleges that India's infrastructure projects on the rivers are designed to manipulate water flow in violation of the 1960 accord [3, 4]. While some reports characterize these statements as diplomatic warnings against water weaponization, other officials have said the issue is a military trigger [1, 2].
“"If India moves to block our water, we will consider going to war."”
The escalation of rhetoric regarding the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty signals a shift from diplomatic disagreement to security threats. Because the treaty has historically survived multiple wars between India and Pakistan, the suggestion that water diversion could be viewed as an 'act of war' indicates a precarious moment for regional stability and the fragility of long-standing water-sharing agreements.
