Pakistan accuses India of 'weaponizing water'

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's deputy prime minister on Friday accused neighboring India of "weaponizing water" by releasing water from Indian dams without warning, saying the move violates a World Bank-brokered water-sharing treaty and threatens peace and stability in the region. Ishaq Dar made the remarks a day after Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it had written to New Delhi seeking clarification over what it described as irregular water releases from the Chenab River. Dar alleged New Delhi was manipulating water flows at a critical point in Pakistan's agricultural cycle, threatening livelihoods as well as the country's food and economic security. He said the latest irregular release of water from the Chenab river was detected this week. "Such illegal and irresponsible conduct has the potential to trigger a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan," he said. Pakistan and India has a history of bitter relations and they have fought two of their three wars since gaining independence from the British colonial rule in 1947. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi. Similar actions in September worsened flooding that devastated hundreds of villages in eastern Pakistan, authorities said. India at the time said it had alerted Pakistan about the possible flooding, which was also triggered by monsoon rains. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The Indus Water Treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allows for sharing the waters of a river system that is a lifeline for both countries. The treaty survived two wars between the countries, in 1965 and 1971, and a major border skirmish in 1999. Under the treaty, India has control over the eastern rivers of Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas, and Pakistan controls the western rivers of Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus that follow through Kashmir region. India unilaterally suspended the water-sharing treaty and scaled down diplomatic ties with Pakistan in April following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. That led to weeks of heightened tensions that culminated in tit-for-tat missile strikes in May. The escalation ended after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had brokered a ceasefire. However, the two sides have taken no steps to normalize relations since. Addressing diplomats, Dar said "Water is life and cannot be weaponized." He said Pakistan has also informed U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the U.N. General Assembly, urging them to play their role in addressing the situation. Dar said Pakistan's National Security Committee warned earlier this year that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water to Pakistan would be considered an "act of war." He said India has halted the sharing of advance information, hydrological data and joint oversight mechanisms required under the treaty, exposing Pakistan to both floods and droughts.