Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus River waters would be treated as an “act of war” during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.
Sharif described the shared waters of the Indus river system as the “lifeblood” of Pakistan and the wider region, while criticising India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
“The shared waters of the Indus River system are the lifeblood not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the entire region. India’s unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance has no legal basis whatsoever,” Sharif said.
He further claimed that India’s position and actions concerning the treaty had been rejected by UN experts and the Court of Arbitration. Sharif maintained that Pakistan’s position that the treaty remains “valid, binding and fully operative” had been vindicated.
“Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them. Therefore, any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must make no mistake about it,” he said.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 and governs the sharing and use of waters from the Indus river system.
The treaty was placed in abeyance by India following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, marking a major deterioration in the countries’ longstanding water-sharing arrangements. Sharif’s latest remarks come amid continued tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sharif also used his UNGA address to discuss regional conflicts, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gaza war, Kashmir and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.