PM Shehbaz warns India against crossing IWT red line
Pakistan
Urges global action as Pakistan's glaciers melt rapidly
DUSHANBE (Dunya News/APP) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty unilaterally and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
“India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” the prime minister said addressing the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation in Dushanbe.
The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his comprehensive address, touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponization of water and call to protect nature and humanity’s shared destiny.
“The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponization of water,” he told the international conference being hosted by Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation.
The premier also called for a global action to protect glaciers in Pakistan, which are melting rapidly due to climate change.
“Pakistan has 13,000 glaciers, and it receives half of its water from glaciers. Therefore, glacier protection is very important for Pakistan,” he stressed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus River system – the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is among the ten most climate-affected countries, despite contributing less than half a percent to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to climate change, Pakistan faced devastating floods in 2022, which destroyed crops and infrastructure, he told the participants.
He prayed that no other country faced such devastation, which necessitated a comprehensive plan and immediate implementation.
“The world faces the challenge of climate change, and there is a need to do more on this issue,” he empahsised.
“The five great rivers that shape our geographical landscape—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej—all depend on the stability of glacial systems. This makes Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers,” he added.
Referring to the “sobering” scientific projections, he highlighted that glacial melt in our region was expected to accelerate flooding in the coming decades, followed by a drastic decline in river flows as glaciers recede further.
“These changes threaten our fragile ecosystem. As we inch closer to these grim new realities, we must heed the alarm bells, deflection signs of haunting consequences—lost livelihoods, displaced families, and deep chaos,” he warned.
Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to shared responsibility and collective action, he called for enhanced global climate action to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
“The developed countries must meet their climate financial commitments without any delay and with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation as well as loss and damage. Adequate funding for climate resilience, infrastructure, and overcoming financing gaps remains critical for climate-vulnerable countries. Investment must be made in early warning systems and disaster preparedness and management,” the prime minister emphasised.
