Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik on Tuesday issued fresh warning to India saying Islamabad would “cut off those hands” that attempted to claim Pakistan’s share of water under the agreement. His remarks has escalated the Pakistan’s ongoing water dispute with India. The remarks come as tensions between the two countries continue over New Delhi’s decision to place the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty treaty in abeyance following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Addressing a joint press conference with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Malik accused India of attempting to control water flows allocated to Pakistan under the treaty. According to reports, Malik alleged that India was trying to prevent water from reaching Pakistan and warned that Islamabad would not allow any interference with what it considers its share under the agreement.
His remarks were reported by Pakistani media outlets and videos of the press conference circulated online. However, the authenticity of those clips could not be independently verified.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar maintained that the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force and cannot be suspended, revoked or amended unilaterally. He said Pakistan’s position had received international support and argued that India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance had not been accepted at any international platform. Tarar also quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as saying that water is Pakistan’s “lifeline” and its “red line”. According to him, Pakistan’s rights under the treaty remain protected under international law.
The Pakistani government also announced that it will host what it described as the first international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad. The conference is expected to bring together legal experts, water specialists and foreign delegates to discuss the treaty’s legal and technical aspects, along with Pakistan’s position on the agreement.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the sharing of waters from the Indus river system between India and Pakistan.
The agreement came under renewed strain after India placed it in abeyance following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-backed terrorists for the attack and said the treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends support for cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has rejected the allegations.
Earlier, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also warned that military action could be considered if the country’s water security was threatened.
India has defended its position, saying the treaty no longer reflects current realities. Addressing the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, India’s First Secretary to the UN, Anupama Singh, said it was unreasonable for a country accused of sponsoring terrorism to continue seeking the benefits of cooperation under the treaty. She described the agreement as outdated and argued that a treaty negotiated in 1960 cannot remain insulated from accountability despite significant geopolitical changes over the past six decades.
India has also maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and accused Pakistan of using international platforms to divert attention from terrorism and its domestic issues.