DUSHANBE – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponization of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
“India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” the prime minister said addressing the three-day High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation being held here from May 29-31, 2025.
The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his comprehensive address, touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponization of water and call to protect nature and humanity’s shared destiny.
“The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponization of water,” he told the international conference being hosted by Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation.
The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025, and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus River system – the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy.
“The five great rivers that shape our geographical landscape—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej—all depend on the stability of glacial systems. This makes Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers,” he added.
He told the international gathering that Pakistan had faced the peril of glacial melt in the form of devastating floods in 2022 which destroyed millions of acres of standing crops, hundreds of thousands of houses and infrastructure, despite Pakistan’s only less than half a percent contribution of the total world emissions and yet being one of the 10 most vulnerable countries.
He prayed that no other country faced such devastation, which necessitated a comprehensive plan and immediate implementation.
Referring to the “sobering” scientific projections, he highlighted that glacial melt in our region was expected to accelerate flooding in the coming decades, followed by a drastic decline in river flows as glaciers recede further.
“These changes threaten our fragile ecosystem. As we inch closer to these grim new realities, we must heed the alarm bells, deflection signs of haunting consequences—lost livelihoods, displaced families, and deep chaos,” he warned.
Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to shared responsibility and collective action, he called for enhanced global climate action to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
“The developed countries must meet their climate financial commitments without any delay and with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation as well as loss and damage. Adequate funding for climate resilience, infrastructure, and overcoming financing gaps remains critical for climate-vulnerable countries. Investment must be made in early warning systems and disaster preparedness and management,” the prime minister emphasised.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reflected on his childhood memories of swimming in the River Ravi, underscoring how rivers like Ravi and Tajikistan’s Vakhsh river, fed by glaciers, sustained life across regions, and that the shared water sources symbolized a common ecological destiny, requiring collective efforts for their preservation.
“Let us protect and preserve nature’s precious bounties for our planet and our peoples,” he urged.
