Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned at the UN General Assembly that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of Indus waters would be treated as an “act of war”. He also raised Kashmir and opposed the expansion of permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
United Nations, Sept 2026 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday issued a strong warning to India over the Indus waters issue, saying any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the river waters would be treated as an “act of war”.
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sharif said, “Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them.” He added that India “must make no mistake” about Pakistan’s position on the issue.
The remarks came after India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. India has maintained that the treaty is in abeyance, while Pakistan has rejected the move and described it as having no legal basis. India’s External Affairs Ministry confirmed in May 2025 that the treaty was in abeyance.
Sharif also used his UN address to raise the Kashmir issue, calling for what he described as a “free and impartial plebiscite” under UN auspices. He alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and said Pakistan would continue to extend diplomatic, political and moral support to Kashmiris.
Sharif described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein”, a phrase he has used previously to underline Islamabad’s stated position on the disputed region. Pakistan’s official account of the speech said he linked the issue to the need for a “just and fair solution” and argued that generations of Kashmiris had awaited implementation of what Islamabad regards as the UN commitment to self-determination.
India and Pakistan have fundamentally different positions on Kashmir. New Delhi regards Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India and rejects Pakistan’s claims over the region, while Islamabad continues to seek international attention to the dispute.
Sharif’s remarks came against the backdrop of continuing tensions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The United Nations human rights chief had called in July for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into civilian and security-force deaths during unrest in the region.
The Pakistani prime minister also spoke about regional and international conflicts and called for diplomacy to address global crises. Pakistan’s official account of his UN appearance said he urged countries to choose dialogue and cooperation over confrontation. He also called for the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab to remain open, describing them as vital arteries of the global economy.
Sharif further praised Pakistan’s military leadership while referring to Field Marshal Asim Munir and credited him with the country’s response during the 2025 confrontation with India. He also thanked US President Donald Trump for what he described as an intervention that helped prevent a wider conflict.
On UN reform, Sharif said the Security Council needed to become more representative but opposed an expansion based on what he characterised as the ambitions of a limited number of countries. His position comes amid a long-running debate over proposals to expand both permanent and non-permanent membership of the council.
India has been seeking a permanent seat on a reformed Security Council and has received support from several countries for its bid. Sharif’s remarks therefore placed Pakistan’s position on UN reform alongside its broader diplomatic differences with India.
While Sharif’s speech called for peace and diplomacy in several parts, his warning over Indus waters marked one of the strongest elements of his address. The comments are likely to keep water-sharing and India-Pakistan relations among the prominent bilateral issues discussed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
