ISLAMABAD: Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday strongly criticised India’s reported approval of a new hydropower project on the Chenab River, describing the “weaponisation of water” as neither rational nor acceptable and warning that such actions could further destabilise an already tense regional environment.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader said India’s approval of the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project amounted to a “flagrant violation” of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). She stressed that the treaty, which governs the sharing of river waters between Pakistan and India, could not be unilaterally suspended or revoked.
Rehman said that under the IWT, Pakistan has rights over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India controls the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers. She added that despite this framework, India had moved to fast-track several hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin following what she termed the “illegal suspension” of the treaty. These projects, she said, include Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru and Kirthai-I and II, with Dulhasti Stage-II forming part of this broader strategy.
“This weaponisation of water is neither sane nor acceptable in a region already on the frontlines of climate change and environmental stress,” Rehman said, warning that such measures would inflame tensions in a bilateral relationship marked by hostility and mistrust.
You May Also Like: Punjab Wildlife Rangers Rescue Sambar Deer, Step Up Anti-Poaching Drive
Indian media outlets reported that a panel of the Indian Ministry of Environment had approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II project in the Kishtwar district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to the reports, the project follows the approval of the 1,856MW Sawalkot hydropower project on the same river, with both initiatives aimed at harnessing the Chenab’s hydropower potential. Other reports noted that several hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin were being advanced with the IWT currently held in abeyance by India.
Senator Sherry Rehman has said that the “weaponisation of water was neither sane nor acceptable” after Indian media reported that New Delhi had approved a hydel power project on the Chenab River. https://t.co/BDoE3nc5Hk
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 29, 2025
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of India’s recent actions from the international community. United Nations special rapporteurs recently expressed concern that India’s use of force on Pakistani territory following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam appeared to violate fundamental rights, and warned that certain actions could disrupt water flows to Pakistan under the IWT.
India had placed the treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 tourists, blaming Pakistan without publicly presenting evidence. Islamabad rejected the allegations and described any attempt to suspend Pakistan’s water share as an “act of war,” noting that the treaty contains no provision for unilateral suspension. In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Office also sought clarification from India over abrupt variations in the Chenab’s flow, citing adverse impacts on agriculture in parts of Punjab.
Check out our latest video:
