Strongly condemns the continued human rights violations in IIOJK and declares that Kashmir remains the jugular vein of Pakistan
RAWALPINDI:
Top military commanders on Monday expressed a resolute commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure availability of Pakistan’s “legitimate share of water” amid tensions with India over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
For more than six decades, India and Pakistan amicably managed the Indus river system through the IWT cross-border water sharing agreement signed on September 19, 1960. In April last year, India suspended the treaty in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Last week, Pakistan held a seminar on IWT in which political leaders pledged a strong defense of Pakistan’s rights under the treaty through all available legal and diplomatic means, warning that any attempt to deprive the country of its share of water would have “profound consequences for regional peace and security.”
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir presided over the 276th Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The statement said the forum took note of the Indian rhetoric around the IWT and reaffirmed the guidance issued in the National Security Committee directive of April 24, 2025.
“He expressed a resolute commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure availability of Pakistan’s share of water as per the directives of the Government and the aspirations of the people of Pakistan,” ISPR said.
Read more: India warned against using water as a weapon
The statement further added that the forum expressed serious concerns over the continued use of territory under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime by Indian-sponsored terrorist groups, including Fitna-al Khawarij and Fitna-al Hindustan to orchestrate attacks inside Pakistan.
Fitna-al Khawarij is a term that the State uses to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna-al Hindustan is a state-designated term for terrorist organizations in Balochistan.
“The forum affirmed that lasting peace and stability in the region depends on preventing the use of Afghan Taliban-controlled territory by Indian terrorist proxies, for which the Afghan Taliban regime is directly responsible,” it said.
The forum noted that Pakistan had the unequivocal right to defend its people from terrorism and that the armed forces will continue intelligence-based operations against terrorism emanating from the territory controlled by the Afghan Taliban under the ambit of Operation Ghazab lil Haq.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched in late February following fresh clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired at multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan.
According to ISPR, the military top brass underlined the immediate need to establish strong governance structures in troubled areas that were aimed at public service and welfare as well as breaking the nefarious nexus between terrorism and crime that thrives under the political patronage created.
The forum noted that after what it described as the comprehensive defeat inflicted at Marka-e-Haq, “there is greater reliance on an evolving pattern of externally supported hybrid warfare and disinformation campaigns aimed at causing unrest.”
The term “Marka-e-Haq”refers to the 2025 conflict with India, which began with the Pahalgam attack on April 22 and concluded with a ceasefire on May 10 following Operation Bunyanum Marsoos.
He condemned all forms of financing, facilitation and patronage of state-backed proxies, and said any attempt to destabilize Pakistan through hybrid means would continue to be countered with “strategic clarity and firm resolve.”
The ISPR said the forum also reviewed the evolving regional situation and appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting dialogue, reduction of tensions and regional stability.
“It reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, respect for international law and greater regional cooperation to address shared security challenges,” the statement read.
The conference participants strongly rejected and condemned the continued human rights violations and unilateral demographic engineering in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), declaring that Kashmir remains Pakistan’s jugular vein.
“Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support for the Kashmir cause, he emphasized that true regional stability depends entirely on granting the people of Kashmir their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he added.
The statement stated that CDF Munir directed commanders to quickly follow up on the multi-domain transformation plan in accordance with the changing character of warfare.
“He also called on commanders to maintain the highest standards of vigilance, operational readiness and professional excellence, emphasizing integrated responses to conventional, sub-conventional and hybrid threats, while safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty and national interests at all costs,” the statement said.
Also read: Arbitration court upholds Pakistan’s stance on Indus Waters Treaty
The army’s media wing said the forum offered fatha to the Shuhada of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians, reaffirming that “their sacrifices remain the foundation of Pakistan’s security, unity and resilience.”
ISPR said the top military leadership also reviewed the prevailing security environment and expressed satisfaction over the operational preparedness, professionalism and combat readiness of Pakistan Armed Forces.
In May, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague upheld its earlier award supporting the continued validity of the IWT, ruling that India cannot unilaterally suspend the agreement. The court reaffirmed that the treaty remained in force, rejecting arguments that either party can withdraw or suspend it without mutual consent. He said the legal framework governing the sharing of the Indus River system continues to bind both India and Pakistan.
In a previous award issued last year, the court ordered that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for the “unrestricted use” of Pakistan, strengthening Pakistan’s interpretation of the treaty’s water allocation provisions.
The Indus Waters Treaty
After years of negotiations, facilitated by the World Bank, the IWT was signed in September 1960 by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistani President Ayub Khan. India was given control of the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej and Beas), while Pakistan was given control of the three western rivers: Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Under the treaty, India is legally obliged to allow waters from western rivers to flow into Pakistan, with only a few exceptions.
Under the treaty, Pakistan has unrestricted use of these rivers, while India is allowed to build hydroelectric facilities on them under specific conditions. These projects must conform to the design limitations outlined in the treaty’s annexes, ensuring that they are “run-of-the-river” and do not significantly alter the flow or storage of water to the detriment of Pakistan.
Pakistan, which receives about 80 percent of its water from the Indus river system, is highly dependent on these rivers. Of the 16.8 million acre-feet of water in the system, India is allocated about 3.3 million acre-feet. India currently uses just over 90 percent of its permitted quota, leaving Pakistan deeply dependent on the rest.
