Disputes between India and Pakistan over the Indus Water Treaty have come to a head. Islamabad will not hesitate to take direct military action if India’s actions disrupt Pakistan’s water security
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning to India on Sunday in the same language. The water dispute could lead to a new war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
In an interview with local Pakistani media, Khawaja Asif highlighted the water crisis as one of the major national security issues. He made it clear that any violation of Pakistan’s rights over the waters of the Indus basin would result in severe retaliation.
In his words, “The moment we realize that our national security is compromised, and water is an integral part of our national security, we will definitely go to war against India.”
Recently, a video of India’s Water Resources Minister CR Patil’s speech has gone viral. He indicated that the flow of the Indus to Pakistan could be completely stopped by June
Pakistan has reacted strongly to the news amid a dire water crisis. “Pakistan will not sit idly by if India tries to accelerate or change the flow of the river by going outside the agreement,” Asif said.
Under the Indus Water Treaty brokered by the World Bank in 1960, Pakistan receives about 80 percent of the water in the basin. Water is important for agriculture, irrigation and the overall economy of that country.
But in April 2025, New Delhi took drastic action after a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pehalgam killed 26 people. India suspended the deal, blaming Pakistan-backed militants for the attack. India’s clear position is that the agreement will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible steps to completely stop cross-border terrorism.
Since the cancellation of the agreement, Pakistan has been vocal in the international arena. Last week, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar demanded the intervention of the UN Security Council. Islamabad has also accused India of a new river-linking project to divert water from the Chandrabhaga (Chenab) river.
For Pakistan, which is facing climate change and acute internal water crisis, the Indus water dispute has now become one of the main sources of friction in the relations between the two countries.