Using IWT as weapon poses serious threat to regional peace, stability: Chief Organizer PBF

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2026) Undermining the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would have disastrous consequences for regional peace and stability, cautioned Chief Organizer of the Pakistan business Forum (PBF), Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad.

With India’s unilateral abrogation of the treaty, Pakistan faces grave threats to its agricultural survival and food security.

In an interview with APP, Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad said India’s reduction of Pakistan’s allocated water under the treaty is tantamount to an act of war, giving Pakistan the full right to respond to such a violation. He added that using water as a weapon poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

Jawad stated that there is no legal justification for placing the treaty in “abeyance” or suspending it.

According to him, no changes can be made to the treaty without mutual consent. He emphasized that stopping another country’s water is a grave offense, noting that the rivers covered under the treaty flow through areas including Jammu and Kashmir and large parts of Pakistan, making Pakistan a Primary stakeholder.

He stressed that Pakistan will ensure the implementation of the IWT at all costs and will not allow anyone to infringe upon its rights.

Jawad pointed out that more than 80 percent of Pakistan’s agriculture depends on the irrigation system linked to the Indus basin.

He further said that India’s unjustified, illegal, and stubborn actions regarding the treaty could intensify challenges related to agriculture and climate change in Pakistan. Increased glacier melt and irregular monsoon patterns could threaten the long-term availability of water resources. Moreover, a reduction in river flows could lead to a decline in groundwater levels in Pakistan.

Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad also warned that India’s alleged “water aggression,” by using water as a weapon, could seriously undermine global food security goals. He noted that the Indus Waters Treaty, which has remained in force for more than six decades, serves as a cornerstone of agricultural stability in South Asia and is vital for food supply, rural employment, and livelihoods for millions of people.

He urged India not to adopt policies that could compel Pakistan to take protective steps over its water resources, stressing that such developments would carry significant economic and regional consequences.

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