Any attempt to divert Pakistan’s water to be treated as act of war, India ‘must make no mistake about it’: PM at UNGA

Any attempt to divert Pakistan's water to be treated as act of war, India 'must create no mistake concerning it': PM at UNGA.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 25, 2026 Updated September 26, 2026 12: 50am.
• Pakistan has sacrificed, almost 100, 000 precious lives and suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion.
• According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, any attempt by India to divert Pakistan's share of water would be treated as an "act of war".
• He continued that Afghan territory continued to be exploited by the Tehreek-I-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army.
• In this regard, he appreciated Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Munir, whose "relentless efforts helped create space for diplomacy under exceptionally difficult and challenging circumstances".

News Desk Published September 25, 2026 Updated September 26, 2026 12: 50am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

"Any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan's share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must create no mistake concerning it, " he noted during a speech at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he called attention to the neighbouring country's decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance.

In his address, the prime minister highlighted India's abeyance of the IWT since last year, stressing that it had no legal basis.

He highlighted that the country's claims and actions regarding the treaty had been rejected by UN experts as well as by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, leaving Pakistan "vindicated beyond any ray of doubt" in its position.

"Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them, " he stressed, calling the Indus river system the "lifeblood" of the entire region.

PM Shehbaz additionally addressed last year's brief military conflict with India. It came after an attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists – an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. For its part, Pakistan strongly denied the allegations and pressed a neutral investigation.

"Our brave and valiant armed forces, under the courageous leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, responded with precision and professionalism, " he remarked.

He once again praised US President Donald Trump's "resolute and visionary leadership" in brokering a ceasefire between the two countries in May 2025, stressing that it saved "hundreds of millions of lives".

"Who knows the extent of devastation that could have taken place had President Trump not stepped in at this critical moment with clarity of thought and action?" he questioned.

"We must therefore ensure that South Asia never reaches this precipice ever again, " he remarked. This, nevertheless, the premier went on, required a fair resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

"For eight decades, the Kashmiri people have waited for the United Nations to fulfill its solemn commitment of a free and impartial plebiscite, " he pointed out, adding that they had endured "illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment" for generations.

He declared that Pakistan would continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral backing to Kashmiris until they were granted their right to self-determination, terming Kashmir "Pakistan's jugular vein".

During his address, the prime minister additionally addressed the conflict in the Gulf region and the Middle East, highlighting the loss of lives, economic suffering and pressure faced by critical maritime routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.

"At this critical moment, Pakistan chose to act swiftly. Through concerted efforts, Pakistan brought Washington and Tehran under one roof in Islamabad, " PM Shehbaz remarked, referring to the Islamabad Negotiations that resulted in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by the US and Iran in June.

In this regard, he appreciated Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Munir, whose "relentless efforts helped create space for diplomacy under exceptionally difficult and challenging circumstances". He additionally extended his appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for his role in the process.

"Amid the roar of missiles, drones and guns, the voice for diplomacy must echo even louder and stronger, " the premier stated.

"The Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab are arteries of the global economy. They must remain open, connecting nations, not becoming choke points of confrontation, " he remarked.

He additionally condemned, "in the strongest possible terms", the recent attacks by the Houthis against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, calling them "deplorable" and expressed Islamabad's complete solidarity with Riyadh.

He additionally highlighted the tripartite defence agreement lately signed by Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia as a reflection of Pakistan's commitment to peace.

"This alliance is not directed against any country; it is a collective commitment for defence, stability and peace in the region, and nothing more, " he stressed.

PM Shehbaz additionally restated Pakistan's backing for Palestine, expressing his concern for ongoing Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Bank as well as its continued aggression against Lebanon and Syria.

He remarked that last year he had mentioned the "heart-wrenching story" of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza after being trapped for hours in a car with her family members.

"This year, another tragedy weighs heavy on the heart. This time, it is the deafening cries of the sobbing mother of eight-year-old Wafaa Akila. This person embraced martyrdom in this senseless aggression. What should have been the first day of her school became the last day of her life, " he remarked.

"Does not a child born in Gaza deserve the same life, and the same future as a child anywhere else in the world? The tragedies of Hind Rajab, Wafaa Akila, and countless others will echo through history as an indictment of our collective silence and inaction, " he remarked.

In particular, he observed that the forcible eviction of Palestinians in the West Bank "clearly reflects Israel's genocidal agenda".

"Pakistan believes that the only just and lasting solution is the creation of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, " he reaffirmed.

Talking regarding terrorism, the premier stated: "Terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to international peace and security."

He remarked that as a frontline state in combating the menace of terrorism, Pakistan had "fought terrorists in our own cities, in our own mountains and along our frontiers".

"Pakistan has sacrificed, almost 100, 000 precious lives and suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion. The world is safer today thanks to the valuable sacrifices of our valiant armed forces and brave civilians who took on these terrorists. The peace-loving world must never forget this reality, " he remarked.

"These foreign-funded groups operated from sanctuaries in Afghanistan with the aim of destabilising Pakistan, " he remarked. According to The premier, all such attacks from the territory of Afghanistan "must come to a grinding halt".

He called on Afghan authorities to fulfill their international commitments and take "verifiable, decisive action to ensure that Afghan soil is never again used against Pakistan or any other country".

"The fundamental rights of the Afghan people, especially women and girls, must be respected, " he remarked.

PM Shehbaz additionally called attention to the theme of this year's assembly, saying, The theme of this session calls upon us to restore trust. But trust cannot be restored by words alone. It must be earned through action.

"We will restore trust when rivers become lifelines of cooperation, not faultlines of conflict. We will restore trust when those who fuelled the climate crisis protect those who suffer most from its devastating consequences. And above all, trust will be restored when the guns are silenced and replaced by handshakes, embraces and smiles, " he remarked.

He pressed the UN to become stronger and more effective, stressing that reform must reflect "the interests and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of member states, not the ambitions of a select few".

"We live at a dangerous moment. But our future is not predetermined. War is a choice. Peace is additionally a choice. And sometimes, courage lies not in starting a war but in preventing one, " he remarked.

"Pakistan has created its choice. We have chosen dialogue over confrontation. We have chosen cooperation over coercion. We have chosen peace over war, " the premier remarked.

In short, any attempt to divert Pakistan's water to be treated as act of is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.