SCO Summit: Pakistan PM Sharif says water must never be weaponised
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated at the SCO Summit that water resources must not be weaponized or used for political coercion. His comments follow ongoing tensions regarding the Indus Waters Treaty and India's recent rejection of a court arbitration process.
Why it matters
The dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty is a critical geopolitical issue affecting regional stability and diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) said that water was the "lifeblood" of the region and it must never be weaponised.
Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in the Kyrgyz capital, Mr. Sharif also said that the region cannot "realise its full potential without lasting peace," Dawn reported.
"Water is the lifeblood of our region. It sustains millions of lives, nourishes our land and secures the very future of our coming generations,” he said, highlighting the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Mr. Sharif stressed that it "must never be weaponised; it cannot be used as an instrument of coercion, nor can it ever be exploited for political leverage”.
India decided to put the IWT in abeyance as part of a series of punitive diplomatic and economic measures unveiled soon after the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year that killed 26 civilians.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in