IWT cannot be unilaterally revoked or amended, info minister says
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik are currently addressing a press conference. At the outset of the press briefing, Tarar said the world had endorsed that water security was important for Pakistan and the country had a right to it. “Legally, Pakistan’s stance has garnered support internationally, as the Indus Waters Treaty [between Pakistan and India] cannot be unilaterally revoked, abolished or amended,” he added. The minister said the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) had laid out a framework with clarity, which was “in the field and [remains] implemented”. Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had stated multiple times that “water is our lifeline, as well as our red line”. He said a seminar would be held in Islamabad on Tuesday, during which awareness would be raised about Pakistan’s rights under the Indus Waters Treaty. More to follow