'India must make no mistake about it': At UN, Shehbaz Sharif warns about 'act of war' over Indus waters
Sharif also spoke about tensions in the Gulf, Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and Gaza, concerns over militancy operating from Afghanistan, and what he described as the need to restore trust through dialogue, cooperation and peace.
- Sep 26, 2026,
- Updated Sep 26, 2026 2:18 PM IST
In a speech that moved from the threat of war to appeals for peace, and from river waters to the lives of children in conflict zones, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that any attempt by India to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus River waters “will be treated as an act of war”.
Addressing the General Debate, Sharif also spoke about tensions in the Gulf, Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and Gaza, concerns over militancy operating from Afghanistan, and what he described as the need to restore trust through dialogue, cooperation and peace.
What Shehbaz Sharif said on Indus Waters Treaty?
On the Indus Waters treaty (IWT), Sharif said the shared waters were the “lifeblood not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the entire region”, and said India’s unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance had “no legal basis whatsoever”.
He said India’s claims had been rejected by UN experts and the Court of Arbitration. “Water must never be weaponized. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them. Therefore, any attempt to stop, impede, or divert Pakistan's share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must make no mistake about it,” the Pakistan Prime Minister said.
Sharif urges diplomacy as Gulf tensions rise
Turning to the Gulf, Sharif said Pakistan had brought Washington and Tehran together in Islamabad after the conflict that roiled the region in February. With hostilities rising again, he said diplomacy must be heard more strongly than missiles, drones and guns, and added that the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Red Sea bottleneck must remain open. He also condemned the recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the attempted drone attack on Mecca.
Kashmir, Gaza, Islamophobia feature in Sharif’s UN speech
On India and Pakistan, Sharif said Pakistan had exercised its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter when it faced “external aggression from India” a year ago, and credited US President Donald Trump’s intervention with preventing all-out war between the “two nuclear armed neighbours”.
He said making sure South Asia never again reaches “that precipice” requires a just solution to the Kashmir dispute, and added that Kashmiris had waited eight decades for a UN plebiscite. “Generations have endured illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment,” he said.
On Islamophobia, he said, “RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] driven Hindutva ideology is fanning religious hatred, leading to lynching, communal violence, attacks on places of worship and restrictions upon religious freedom.” On Gaza, he recalled eight-year-old Wafa Akilah, who was killed on what should have been her first day of school.
“Does not a child born in Gaza deserve the same life and the same future and same dream as a child, anywhere else in the world?” he asked, adding that in the West Bank “the forcible eviction of Palestinians clearly reflects Israel’s genocidal agenda, which continues unabated”.
Sharif calls for action on militancy from Afghanistan
Sharif also said terrorist groups were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan to destabilise Pakistan, and called on the Afghan authorities to take “verifiable, decisive action”. Echoing the 81st Session’s theme of trust restoration, he said trust would return when “guns are silenced and replaced by handshakes, embraces and smiles.”
He added: “We have chosen dialogue over confrontation. We have chosen cooperation over coercion. We have chosen peace over war,” recapping a speech that combined sharp warnings with repeated calls for diplomacy.
In a speech that moved from the threat of war to appeals for peace, and from river waters to the lives of children in conflict zones, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that any attempt by India to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus River waters “will be treated as an act of war”.
Addressing the General Debate, Sharif also spoke about tensions in the Gulf, Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and Gaza, concerns over militancy operating from Afghanistan, and what he described as the need to restore trust through dialogue, cooperation and peace.
What Shehbaz Sharif said on Indus Waters Treaty?
On the Indus Waters treaty (IWT), Sharif said the shared waters were the “lifeblood not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the entire region”, and said India’s unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance had “no legal basis whatsoever”.
He said India’s claims had been rejected by UN experts and the Court of Arbitration. “Water must never be weaponized. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them. Therefore, any attempt to stop, impede, or divert Pakistan's share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must make no mistake about it,” the Pakistan Prime Minister said.
Sharif urges diplomacy as Gulf tensions rise
Turning to the Gulf, Sharif said Pakistan had brought Washington and Tehran together in Islamabad after the conflict that roiled the region in February. With hostilities rising again, he said diplomacy must be heard more strongly than missiles, drones and guns, and added that the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Red Sea bottleneck must remain open. He also condemned the recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the attempted drone attack on Mecca.
Kashmir, Gaza, Islamophobia feature in Sharif’s UN speech
On India and Pakistan, Sharif said Pakistan had exercised its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter when it faced “external aggression from India” a year ago, and credited US President Donald Trump’s intervention with preventing all-out war between the “two nuclear armed neighbours”.
He said making sure South Asia never again reaches “that precipice” requires a just solution to the Kashmir dispute, and added that Kashmiris had waited eight decades for a UN plebiscite. “Generations have endured illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment,” he said.
On Islamophobia, he said, “RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] driven Hindutva ideology is fanning religious hatred, leading to lynching, communal violence, attacks on places of worship and restrictions upon religious freedom.” On Gaza, he recalled eight-year-old Wafa Akilah, who was killed on what should have been her first day of school.
“Does not a child born in Gaza deserve the same life and the same future and same dream as a child, anywhere else in the world?” he asked, adding that in the West Bank “the forcible eviction of Palestinians clearly reflects Israel’s genocidal agenda, which continues unabated”.
Sharif calls for action on militancy from Afghanistan
Sharif also said terrorist groups were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan to destabilise Pakistan, and called on the Afghan authorities to take “verifiable, decisive action”. Echoing the 81st Session’s theme of trust restoration, he said trust would return when “guns are silenced and replaced by handshakes, embraces and smiles.”
He added: “We have chosen dialogue over confrontation. We have chosen cooperation over coercion. We have chosen peace over war,” recapping a speech that combined sharp warnings with repeated calls for diplomacy.