PM Shehbaz says water ‘lifeblood’ of region, must never be weaponised

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said water was the “lifeblood” of the region and must never be weaponised, as he addressed a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kyrgyzstan.

Speaking at the SCO Council of Heads of States (CHS) meeting in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the premier said the region cannot “realise its full potential without lasting peace”.

Without naming India directly, he highlighted the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and demanded that it be honoured.

“Water is the lifeblood of our region. It sustains millions of lives, nourishes our land and secures the very future of our coming generations,” he noted.

He stressed that it “must never be weaponised; it cannot be used as an instrument of coercion, nor can it ever be exploited for political leverage”.

“The treaties governing our shared waters are solemn, binding international commitments. They are not matters of political convenience to be cast aside at your will. They must be honoured unconditionally, in both letter and spirit.”

‘Terrorism one of the gravest threats’

Speaking on the issue of terrorism, PM Shehbaz said it remained “one of the gravest threats that has affected our entire region in its various forms and manifestations”.

As chair of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), Pakistan has “worked actively to strengthen regional counter-terrorism cooperation”, he highlighted.

“Few nations have fought against the scourge of terrorism as resolutely and valiantly as Pakistan. In the past two and a half decades, we have sacrificed more than 90,000 lives and endured economic losses of over $150 billion in combatting terrorism.”

Pakistan sought a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, he said, adding: “But let there be no ambiguity; so long as terrorists continue to use Afghan territory to shed the blood of innocent Pakistanis and other nations, lasting peace will remain beyond our reach.”