Pakistan has strongly rejected India’s proposed plan to divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River system, asserting that it retains “all options” necessary to safeguard its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and protect its vital national interests.
Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan remains committed to peace and stability in the region and continues to pursue constructive engagement with the support of friendly countries.
Responding to questions regarding India’s invitation of bids for the proposed Chenab-Beas water transfer project, the spokesperson said the inter-basin diversion of Chenab waters would constitute a serious violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, as well as international law governing treaties and transboundary water resources.
He said the project would breach the provisions of the treaty, the principles enshrined in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and broader international water law, including norms reflected in the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses.
