India’s Suspension of IWT Threatens Regional Stability, Warns Pakistan

DID Press: Pakistan’s Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar warned that India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) poses “a real threat to regional stability” and must be reversed immediately, stressing that water should be “a source of cooperation, not a tool of political coercion.”

Speaking at the EU–Indian Ocean and Pacific Ministers’ Forum in Brussels, Dar said South Asia is once again facing “deliberate aggressive actions that endanger peace and security,” accusing certain regional actors of fueling tensions through “baseless accusations, provocative rhetoric, war hysteria, and then using that as a pretext for unilateral measures.”

He praised the “constructive role” of international partners — including the EU’s High Representative — in helping to de-escalate recent frictions.

Dar reiterated that lasting peace in South Asia is impossible without a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute, which he described as “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).” He stressed that any settlement must be in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the “wishes of the Kashmiri people.”

Addressing broader global challenges — from major-power rivalry and food insecurity to inflation, cyber threats and disruptions caused by artificial intelligence — Dar said the world stands at a “critical turning point,” yet collective capacity to respond is “weakening” and multilateralism is “under strain.”

He cautioned that the Indo-Pacific region must not be allowed to turn into an arena of great-power competition, emphasizing that regional cooperation should be guided by “inclusivity, not exclusivity.”