By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan accused India on Thursday of manipulating the flow of the Chenab River without prior notice, a move that officials said threatened the livelihoods of millions during a crucial agricultural season and violated a longstanding water-sharing treaty between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The charge, leveled during a weekly briefing by the Foreign Office, escalated tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 accord that has long served as a fragile pillar of stability in a region scarred by conflict.
Tahir Hussain Andrabi, the Foreign Office spokesman, described the fluctuations as an “abrupt variation” in the river’s flow, with local media reports citing officials who said India had released about 58,000 cusecs of water at Head Marala on Dec. 7-8 before reducing it sharply to 870-1,000 cusecs through Dec. 17 — well below the 10-year historical average of 4,000-10,000 cusecs for the period.
“Pakistan views these variations with extreme concern and seriousness,” Andrabi said. “They allude to unilateral release of water into the Chenab River by India, without any prior notification.”
Under the treaty, brokered by the World Bank, Pakistan was allocated the westward-flowing Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers, while India received the eastward-flowing Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Andrabi emphasised that the agreement remained a “binding international agreement” and “an instrument of peace and security and stability in the region.” He added that Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commissioner had sent a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification, in line with the treaty’s procedures. “Any manipulation of river flow by India, especially at a critical time of our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the life and livelihood as well as food and economic security of our citizens,” Andrabi said.
The spokesman urged India to “respond to the queries raised by the Pakistani Indus water commissioner, refrain from any unilateral manipulation of river flow and fulfil its obligations in letter and spirit under the Indus Water Treaty provisions.”
The complaint comes amid lingering friction over the treaty. In April, India declared it in abeyance after an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, an incident New Delhi attributed to Islamabad without providing evidence. Pakistan rejected the blame, calling for an impartial international investigation, and labeled the suspension an “act of war,” noting the treaty lacks provisions for unilateral action.
Islamabad later threatened legal recourse, invoking the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued a supplemental award in a 2023 case brought by Pakistan over Indian hydropower projects, ruling that India could not unilaterally suspend the accord. Violating the treaty, Andrabi warned, “threatens the inviolability of international treaties and compliance with international law” and poses a serious risk to “regional peace, principles of good neighbourliness, and norms governing interstate relations.”
He called on the international community to address India’s “continued disregard of a bilateral treaty” and press New Delhi to comply with its obligations. “Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and issues with India but will not compromise on the existential water rights of the people of our country,” he said.
Bihar Chief Minister
In the same briefing, Andrabi condemned an episode in which Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar, was captured on video forcibly removing the hijab of a female doctor during a public event. The incident drew further backlash when a minister from Uttar Pradesh initially defended Kumar before retracting the statement. “The forcible removal of the Muslim woman’s hijab by a senior political leader and subsequent public ridicule of this act are deeply disturbing and warrant strong condemnation,” Andrabi said. “The action risks normalising the humiliation of Muslim women in India. The conduct also demonstrates public disrespect of India’s religious minorities, particularly its Muslim citizens.”
He linked the event to “a broader and troubling pattern associated with Hindutva-inspired politics, namely the alarming rise of religious intolerance and Islamophobia.” Andrabi urged Indian authorities and stakeholders to “recognise the seriousness of this incident and to reaffirm their commitment to the protection of minority rights, respect for religious freedom, and the preservation of human dignity.”
United Nations Security Council Report
Shifting to security matters, Andrabi highlighted a recent United Nations Security Council report that he said bolstered Pakistan’s claims about terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil. The document rejected the Afghan Taliban’s assertions that their territory was not being used for cross-border attacks, deeming them unsubstantiated, and warned that neighbouring countries increasingly see Afghanistan as a source of instability. It confirmed the presence of groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh Khorasan, Al-Qaeda and other foreign militants, some planning external operations. The TTP was identified as the primary regional threat, with safe havens in Afghanistan. The report also noted divisions within the Taliban leadership over the TTP, with some viewing it as harmful to ties with Pakistan while others provide support, alongside close links between Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
“The presence of terrorist elements in Afghanistan poses a serious threat to regional peace and security,” Andrabi said. “The continued existence of militant groups in Afghanistan is also undermining efforts aimed at internal stability and development in the country.” He described such groups as “the single biggest obstacle to stable relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” pledging continued diplomatic engagement to tackle shared threats.
On a purported ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Andrabi clarified it was not a traditional arrangement but an effort to halt terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory. Pakistan, he said, had evidence of cross-border support for assailants and had honored the deal in good faith, but attacks persisted as the other side failed to uphold it.
Bondi Beach Attack
Andrabi also denounced the recent attack at Bondi Beach in Australia on a religious gathering, extending condolences to victims’ families and wishing recovery to the injured. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people and the government of Australia and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its form its manifestation,” he said. He criticised efforts to tie the incident to Pakistan as “regrettable and irresponsible,” noting that media had circulated an unverified Pakistani name and photo, endangering an innocent person and family. Investigations later revealed the attacker was of Indian origin and held an Indian passport. Andrabi accused Indian media of spreading false propaganda, which he said undermined their credibility, and called for more responsible reporting.
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