Pakistan accused India of weaponizing water resources on Thursday, warning of unspecified retaliatory measures after New Delhi advanced two hydropower projects on the Chenab River despite the suspension of their bilateral Indus Waters Treaty. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told journalists the initiatives would undermine the 1960 pact and threaten the water and food security of Pakistan’s 250 million people.

Andrabi said India had not consulted Islamabad on the projects, which include a proposed tunnel to transfer water from the Chenab to the Beas basin and sediment removal operations at the Salal Power Station. “These projects confirm that India seems to weaponise water,” he stated, adding that the developments carried “dangerous implications not only for Pakistan’s economy but also for regional stability and international peace and security.”

India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April 2025, which New Delhi attributed to Pakistan-backed militants. Islamabad denied involvement, but the incident triggered intense drone, missile, and artillery exchanges that killed nearly 70 people on both sides. India’s Foreign Ministry maintains its decision to hold the treaty in abeyance remains in force, insisting it is within its rights to proceed with the projects.

Pakistan rejects any unilateral withdrawal from the six-decade agreement, which has survived three wars between the nuclear-armed rivals. Andrabi emphasized that “any illegal measure to endanger Pakistan’s water, food and economic security as well as the survival and wellbeing of its 250 million people is unacceptable,” declaring Islamabad would retain all options to safeguard its rights. Last month, a Hague-based Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of Pakistan’s position that the treaty remains binding, a decision India dismissed as illegitimate.

The escalating water dispute adds a volatile dimension to the already fraught relationship, with experts warning that climate pressures and population growth are straining agricultural resources critical to both economies. The treaty had long provided a rare channel for diplomatic engagement before its suspension severed one of the last functional links between the hostile neighbors.