Pakistan’s Prime Minister held an important phone conversation with Iran’s President on Monday during which he strongly denounced what he termed India’s use of water as an instrument to threaten Pakistan and fuel geopolitical tensions. Their conversation highlighted growing regional concerns over resource disputes amid wider geopolitical tensions.
According to an official statement from Islamabad, Prime Minister [Name] asserted that India’s actions regarding river management pose a grave risk to regional stability and food security. He accused New Delhi of violating international water treaties and manipulating river flows into Pakistan during critical agricultural seasons, thus violating treaty agreements as well.
“Weaponizing water resources is a serious violation of human rights and international norms,” declared Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, calling for a coordinated regional response to protect shared environmental and humanitarian interests. Iran was specifically asked to stand behind Pakistan at international forums as one of its key neighbors and influential Muslim-majority nations.
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi expressed solidarity with Pakistan’s concerns and agreed that natural resources, including water, should never be used as political leverage. Additionally, he reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful conflict resolution among regional countries.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan under World Bank mediation governs how rivers flowing between both nations are shared among them. Recently however, tensions have escalated, as Pakistan accuses India of building dams and diverting water in ways they believe violate its spirit.
Pakistan and Iran have recently engaged in diplomatic dialogue as part of Islamabad’s attempts to garner wider international support against India’s growing dominance over Pakistani affairs. At the same time, Iran is facing water management difficulties at home that makes it particularly sensitive to conflicts relating to water-related matters.
Beyond water issues, both leaders also discussed strengthening bilateral relations in trade, energy, and security cooperation. Both leaders expressed commitment to deepening regional connectivity projects while upholding stability along their shared border.
Analysts see Pakistan’s discussion as part of their overall plan to internationalize their water dispute and paint India’s actions as threats both to Pakistani interests as well as regional stability.
As water scarcity becomes an ever more pressing global concern, political stakes surrounding resource management in South Asia continue to escalate, further straining India-Pakistan relations.