ISLAMABAD, Jul 23 (APP):Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman Thursday strongly condemned what she termed India's irresponsible conduct over shared water resources, alleging that New Delhi is exposing Pakistan to flood risks through uncoordinated water releases while threatening to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). In a statement, she said India was "weaponising water" by threatening to suspend the treaty on the one hand while releasing large …
Sherry Rehman condemns India’s ‘irresponsible’ handling of shared water resources
ISLAMABAD, Jul 23 (APP):Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman Thursday strongly condemned what she termed India’s irresponsible conduct over shared water resources, alleging that New Delhi is exposing Pakistan to flood risks through uncoordinated water releases while threatening to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
In a statement, she said India was “weaponising water” by threatening to suspend the treaty on the one hand while releasing large volumes of floodwater without transparency or coordination on the other, adding that such actions undermined international norms governing transboundary rivers.
Sherry Rehman said the opening of all gates of the Salal Dam had exposed millions of people in Pakistan to the threat of flooding, alleging that using flood situations as a strategic tool reflected India’s continued water aggression.
She stressed that transboundary rivers should be managed responsibly and cooperatively instead of being used as instruments of political pressure or conflict.
She added that India’s approach to shared water resources was eroding regional trust and posing serious risks to peace and stability in South Asia.
The senator said India’s failure to provide timely and reliable information regarding upstream river flows had become a major challenge for Pakistan’s flood forecasting and water management systems.
She added that uncertainty surrounding water releases, coupled with repeated violations of the spirit and obligations of the Indus Waters Treaty, had made the flow of the River Chenab increasingly unpredictable.
Describing the River Chenab as the lifeline of Punjab’s irrigation system, she said it supplied water to millions of acres of farmland and that sudden fluctuations in river flows could disrupt canal operations, damage crops and jeopardise the livelihoods of farming communities.
Sherry Rehman further said that under the Indus Waters Treaty, India was not permitted to store large volumes of water from the western rivers or divert them to another river basin. She emphasised that international agreements governing shared water resources must be respected in both letter and spirit and that water should never be used as a political weapon or a means of coercion.
She urged India to honour its obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty, ensure transparency in water releases and refrain from actions that could endanger millions of people living downstream.
