Gilani draws a hard line on water rights
Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that no party can unilaterally alter, suspend or revoke the Indus Waters Treaty, the long-standing international agreement that governs sharing of the Indus basin rivers. Addressing the Sixth Pakistan Water Week 2026 in Islamabad as chief guest, he warned that any attempt to block, suspend or divert Pakistan’s legitimate share of water would constitute an act of war and invite a direct response.
Gilani said Pakistan would never allow water to be weaponised or used as a tool of geopolitical pressure. He described the country’s water security, sovereignty and national interests as non-negotiable, and said Islamabad’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty was firm and principled. Any effort to undermine Pakistan’s rights under the pact, he added, would carry serious consequences.
Floods, droughts and a shrinking water cushion
The chairman said Pakistan faces a dual crisis: catastrophic floods that displace millions, and prolonged droughts that deplete soils and threaten farm output. At the same time, he said, falling per capita water availability has pushed the country to a critical threshold, making water security an urgent national priority.
Recalling his time as prime minister during the devastating 2010 floods, which affected about 20 million people, Gilani said he had seen the human cost of such disasters first-hand. He also referred to his engagement with communities hit by recent floods, saying he had heard their accounts and helped mobilise relief and rehabilitation. “Every disaster is a warning we ignored. Disaster response is not resilience, and no single institution can address these challenges in isolation,” he said.
From reaction to prevention
Gilani argued that Pakistan must move beyond a reactive model of disaster management toward a framework built on prevention, preparedness, climate adaptation and long-term resilience. That, he said, requires stronger institutional coordination, enforceable laws, better planning and enough money for preventive work.
He assured that the Senate would support the shift through legislation on river basins, parliamentary oversight so water policies help farmers and communities, and advocacy for dedicated budgets for disaster prevention and water conservation. Equitable distribution and federation–province coordination were essential for national cohesion, he said, pointing to the 1991 Water Accord and the National Water Policy 2018 as milestones whose real test is effective implementation.
Water security, he noted, is tied to agriculture, food security, the environment and broader economic development. He called for more investment in conservation, efficient irrigation, modern management technologies, research and climate-resilient farming, and for closer partnerships among government, research bodies, universities and international development partners.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 1991: The Water Accord sets a national framework for sharing water among the provinces.
- 2010: Floods affect about 20 million people; Gilani, then prime minister, witnesses the human cost.
- 2018: The National Water Policy is adopted as a further national milestone on water management.
- 2026: At the Sixth Pakistan Water Week in Islamabad, Gilani restates that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be changed by one side alone and warns against diverting Pakistan’s share.
- 2047 target: He says Pakistan should aim to be water-secure and flood-resilient by its independence centenary.
He congratulated the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Ministry of Water Resources, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and other partners for sustaining Water Week as a forum for science and policy. Closing his remarks, he hoped the sixth edition would yield actionable recommendations and a clear roadmap for Pakistan’s water security.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Senate ke chairman Gilani ne kaha hai ke Indus Waters Treaty ko koi aik taraf se badal nahi sakta. Agar koi Pakistan ka paani rokne ya moorne ki koshish kare, to woh jang jaisa iqdam samjha jayega. Pakistan floods aur khushki dono se pareshan hai, is liye ab sirf baad mein madad nahi, pehle se taiyari zaroori hai. Kisanon aur aam logon ke liye yeh baat paani, fasal aur mehfooz mustaqbil se judi hai.
