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Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has urged his country to remain vigilant against India, warning that New Delhi could potentially use water as a weapon amid its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

Speaking at an Asia Society event, Iqbal said Pakistan faced the risk of India controlling water supplies in a way that could affect agriculture — withholding water when crops need it and releasing it when demand is low.

Iqbal said the Indus Waters Treaty is an international agreement and cannot be changed unilaterally. He claimed India’s decision to put the treaty in abeyance had created a new challenge for Pakistan.

🇵🇰 Porki's warns of water security threat from India

Porkistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said India’s move to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance has created an external threat to Pakistan’s water security. 😢😢@ajaykraina#PKMKB pic.twitter.com/xpE86SYlp0

— SilentFrame (@SilentFrameM) August 22, 2026

‘India Could Use Water As A Weapon’

Iqbal said that, for the first time in modern history, there was a concern that water could be used as a weapon.

“We now have the threat that India could use water as a weapon,” he said, warning that water could be withheld when Pakistan needs it for crops and released when it is not required.

He added that the dams Pakistan is building would serve as a buffer. Iqbal said Islamabad was currently pursuing all available diplomatic avenues to address the issue.

What Did Shehbaz Sharif Say Earlier?

Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had warned that Islamabad would respond directly if its access to water was threatened.

Speaking to AP News, Sharif said Pakistan wanted peace and not war, but its desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness.

“Every drop of water is our red line,” he said, warning that Pakistan would respond if India stopped its water supply and that any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty would draw a strong response.

India and Pakistan witnessed a military confrontation in May 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack, following which India targeted terror sites in Pakistan.