Victor Gao calls for China’s full backing of Pakistan in Indus Waters Row with India

ISLAMABAD – As tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty continue to simmer, a prominent Chinese voice entered the debate with unusually strong remarks. Speaking in Islamabad, Dr. Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), called for Beijing to fully back Pakistan, warned against using water as a political weapon, and argued that any attempt to cut off Pakistan’s water could amount to a “crime against humanity” in peacetime and a “war crime” during conflict. Gao declared that any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its share of Indus waters would amount to a “crime against humanity” in peacetime and a “war crime” during armed conflict, while calling for closer China-Pakistan coordination on the issue. Chinese Professor Victor Gao exposes Indian PM Modi's threats against Pakistan 🇨🇳🇵🇰 He told Indian media that PM Modi's threat to stop Indus River water from reaching Pakistan would be a crime against humanity in peacetime and a war crime during wartime. pic.twitter.com/R8espSwF36 — Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) June 30, 2026 Gao urged all parties to fully respect the decades-old agreement and proposed expanding it into a trilateral framework by formally including China. He argued that the uninterrupted flow of water through the Indus River system must be guaranteed under the treaty’s provisions. Recalling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks about stopping water supplies to Pakistan, Gao said he had publicly opposed the idea during interviews with leading Indian television channels. According to Gao, using water as a political weapon against millions of people would violate fundamental humanitarian principles. He maintained that cutting off water in peacetime would constitute a crime against humanity, while doing so in wartime could qualify as a war crime under international law. He said India is not the ultimate upstream state because the Indus River