Vienna: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar delivered a keynote address via video message at the International Water Symposium organized by the Pakistan Embassy in Austria alongside the Vienna Diplomatic Academy. The symposium served as a platform for diplomats, academics, and international experts to deliberate on water security and international cooperation. A session dedicated to transboundary river governance and water rights was a key focus of the event.

According to Press Information Department, in his address, Dar condemned India’s approach to water management, specifically criticizing what he described as the “weaponization of water.” He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and drew attention to the recent Court of Arbitration’s Award. The award confirmed the continued validity of the IWT and emphasized the necessity of adhering to its treaty obligations. Dar stressed that shared rivers should foster peace and cooperation rather than serve as instruments of coercion. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and cooperation and asserted that the country would defend its rights under the IWT.

Dar also highlighted the importance of the international community in maintaining international law and treaty obligations and urged a collective rejection of water weaponization.