Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 22: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a war threat against India over water security after New Delhi reiterated that its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains unchanged.
Speaking to ARY News on Saturday, Asif said Pakistan would consider military action if it felt that its national security, including water security, was under threat.
“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,” he said.
Asif alleged that military measures could be considered if Islamabad found evidence that India was moving at an “alarming speed” to disrupt water supplies.
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed. New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible and concrete steps to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure.
The World Bank-mediated treaty, signed in 1960, allows Pakistan access to a major share of the Indus river system, with the country historically receiving around 80 per cent of the basin waters for agriculture.
Asif accuses India of ‘weaponising water’
Asif accused India of allegedly “weaponising water”, manipulating flows of the Chenab River and withholding data related to water releases.
However, he admitted that he did not have updated information on developments over the past year, despite claiming that Pakistani teams had earlier carried out around 115 inspections.
The comments come as Pakistan continues to face a severe domestic water crisis, with experts blaming poor planning, weak infrastructure and mismanagement of resources.
Internal water crisis deepens
Pakistan’s water shortage has severely affected parts of the country, particularly Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
Data from Sindh’s irrigation department reportedly shows major shortages in key canals, including a 64.1 per cent deficit in the North West Canal, 38 per cent shortage in the Rice Canal and 82 per cent shortage in the Dadu Canal.
Falling water levels at the Sukkur Barrage have also triggered concerns among local leaders, who have warned of a major economic impact due to unresolved internal water distribution disputes.
The latest remarks by Pakistan’s defence minister have added fresh tensions between the two neighbours over the long-standing water-sharing arrangement.