Online Desk: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that any attempt to stop, restrict or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters of the Indus river system would be treated as an “act of war,” sharply escalating Islamabad’s rhetoric over its water dispute with India.

Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Shehbaz said India “must make no mistake” about Pakistan’s position, while calling for water resources to be kept outside political and military confrontation.

“Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them,” the Pakistani prime minister said, describing the Indus river system as the “lifeblood” of the region.

His remarks centred on India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. Shehbaz said the move had no legal basis and argued that Pakistan’s position had been supported by findings from UN experts and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The Pakistani leader also referred to the military confrontation between India and Pakistan in 2025, which followed the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack, while India had blamed Pakistan for it. Shehbaz said Pakistan’s armed forces responded to the subsequent confrontation with what he described as “precision and professionalism”.

He also praised US President Donald Trump for his role in helping broker the May 2025 ceasefire between the two countries, saying the intervention prevented potentially much greater devastation. He urged the international community to ensure that South Asia does not again reach such a dangerous point.

Shehbaz linked lasting regional peace with a settlement of the Kashmir dispute, reiterating Pakistan’s support for what it described as the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

A major part of the speech was devoted to the wider Middle East and Gulf situation.

Shehbaz said Pakistan had sought to promote dialogue amid escalating tensions and referred to the Islamabad talks between Washington and Tehran that resulted in an Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June.

He also called for the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab to remain open, describing them as vital arteries of the global economy. He warned that strategic waterways should not become “choke points” in regional conflicts.

The prime minister condemned recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with Riyadh.

He also referred to the recently signed defence arrangement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, saying it was intended as a collective commitment to defence, stability and peace rather than being directed against any particular country.

On Gaza and the broader Palestinian issue, Shehbaz strongly criticised Israel’s military actions and reiterated Pakistan’s support for an independent Palestinian state.

He referred to the deaths of Palestinian children, including Hind Rajab and Wafaa Akila, to underline what he described as the devastating humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

Shehbaz said Pakistan supports the establishment of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

He also criticised the forcible displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, describing it as reflecting what he called Israel’s “genocidal agenda”.

Addressing terrorism, Shehbaz said Pakistan had paid a heavy human and economic price in its fight against militant groups.

He claimed that nearly 100,000 Pakistanis had been killed and that the country had suffered more than $150 billion in economic losses as a result of terrorism.

He further alleged that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan with the objective of destabilising Pakistan.

Islamabad, he said, expected Afghan authorities to take “verifiable” and decisive steps to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan or other countries.

He also called for the fundamental rights of Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls, to be respected.

Linking his speech to the theme of the 81st UN General Assembly, Shehbaz said restoring international trust would require concrete action rather than words.

He called for rivers to become sources of cooperation instead of conflict and urged stronger international action on climate change and global peace.

He also called for reform of the United Nations, saying the organisation should better reflect the interests and aspirations of the majority of its member states.

“War is a choice. Peace is also a choice,” he said, adding that Pakistan had chosen dialogue, cooperation and peace over confrontation.

Shehbaz’s UNGA address placed water security, India-Pakistan tensions, Kashmir, Palestine, Middle Eastern diplomacy, terrorism and UN reform at the centre of Pakistan’s message to the international community. Pakistan had earlier said the prime minister’s UNGA agenda would focus on dialogue, diplomacy, regional security, climate change, terrorism, Kashmir and Palestine.

Separately, Shehbaz met UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and dialogue and discussed regional developments, the Middle East, Afghanistan and terrorism.