Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that any threat to the country’s water supply would be viewed as a threat to national security. He linked water security directly to Pakistan’s strategic interests and said any attempt to stop or divert water could trigger a military response.
Speaking in an interview with ARY News, Khawaja Asif said, “The moment we feel that our national security and water is part of our national security, is being threatened, we will go to war against India. Definitely,” Asif said.
Asif said Pakistan would have no choice but to respond if there was clear evidence that India was taking steps to alter the flow of water. He stressed that any such move would be viewed as a direct threat to Pakistan’s interests.
“If India very quickly starts building structures or takes steps to stop or divert water, and we get proof of it, then there will be no other option left,” he added.
His remarks come at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty, which has been in abeyance since last year.
India says Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance
India reiterated on June 5 that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to end support for cross-border terrorism.
New Delhi suspended the decades-old agreement following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. In the aftermath of the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025, saying the military action targeted terrorist infrastructure.
Since then, the government has maintained that the treaty will not be restored unless Pakistan demonstrates a lasting commitment to ending cross-border terror activities.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underlined India’s position, saying, “The Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s sponsorship of cross-border terrorism.”
He also dismissed objections raised by Islamabad regarding India’s hydroelectric projects on the Chenab and Beas rivers.
Baglihar Dam reflects India’s changing water strategy
The impact of the treaty’s suspension is most visible at the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district. More than a year after the agreement was put on hold, the dam’s gates continue to remain closed.
The continued closure highlights a broader shift in India’s approach to water management and hydroelectric operations in the region, which has drawn close attention from Pakistan.
India rejects arbitration court ruling
Meanwhile, India has also rejected the May 15, award issued by a Court of Arbitration on issues related to maximum pondage and treaty interpretation.
New Delhi described the court as “illegally constituted” and said it had never recognised its authority. It maintained that all proceedings and decisions of the tribunal were “null and void.”
Pakistan relies heavily on the Indus river system
The dispute carries significant importance for Pakistan, which depends heavily on the Indus river system. According to the Indian government, nearly 80 per cent of Pakistan’s 16 million hectares of agricultural land relies on the river network, while about 93 per cent of the country’s total water use comes from the same system.
With the Indus Waters Treaty now entering its second year in abeyance, the issue has become another major source of friction between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with both sides continuing to defend their positions.
