Pakistan Seeks Canada's Support For Restoration Of Indus Waters Treaty: 'Weaponisation Of Water'

Published 21 July 2026 · local

Pakistan Seeks Canada's Support For Restoration Of Indus Waters Treaty: 'Weaponisation Of Water' Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 07:40 IST Pakistan has urged

Pakistan Seeks Canada's Support For Restoration Of Indus Waters Treaty: 'Weaponisation Of Water' Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 07:40 IST Pakistan has urged Canada to support the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty, while India continues to keep the pact in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan appeals for Canada's support to restore the Indus Waters Treaty after India suspended the agreement following the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack (Image: Social Media) Pakistan on Monday appealed to Canada to support the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urging Ottawa to back Islamabad’s demand for the immediate revival of the landmark water-sharing agreement with India. Dar made the remarks during a joint press briefing in Islamabad alongside Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of waters from the six rivers of the Indus basin. Under the agreement, India has rights over the three eastern rivers, while Pakistan receives the waters of the three western rivers, subject to certain uses permitted to India. India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.

New Delhi had then said the agreement would remain suspended until Pakistan takes “credible" action against cross-border terrorism. ALSO READ | China’s Billion-Dollar Projects In Pakistan Face Shutdown Fears: What Does Balochistan Unrest Mean For India? Addressing the media on Monday, Dar alleged that India’s decision had intensified an already sensitive security environment in the region. “India has added a new dynamic into an already volatile security situation by announcing in April 2025 to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance," Dar said. Seeking international backing, the Pakistani Foreign Minister specifically appealed to Canada for support. “We seek the support of our friendly countries, including Canada, towards India’s immediate restoration of the IWT, ending the weaponisation of water and upholding international law and treaty obligations as per international law and practices," Dar said. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand was in Pakistan on a two-day official visit at the time of the remarks. INDIA HARDENS STANCE ON THE INDUS WATERS TREATY According to a report by The Times of India, India has further hardened its stance on the Indus Waters Treaty and believes the agreement will no longer function in its current form. The report, citing official sources, said India is not actively considering withdrawing from the World Bank-brokered treaty at present, but does not see it in the country’s interest to continue under the existing framework.