Pakistan’s First Secretary Adeel Mumtaz Khokhar made the remarks during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council as members considered a resolution on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. (UN Transcripts)
The resolution, presented by Germany and Spain, was adopted without a vote. Pakistan said it had worked to retain an explicit reference to transboundary water cooperation in the final text.
According to Pakistan, India had sought to remove the reference, arguing that cooperation over transboundary waters was outside the scope of a resolution focused on human rights.
Pakistan maintained that cooperation over shared water resources is directly linked to the rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.
“Where water is shared, responsibilities are also shared,” Khokhar said, stressing that cooperation between neighbouring countries over shared waters was a responsibility rather than a favour or concession.
He said no upstream country should be able to use water as a tool of political pressure or influence.
Khokhar also described India’s unilateral action concerning the Indus Waters Treaty as a “weaponisation of water” and warned that water must not become an instrument of coercion, political leverage or war. (UN Transcripts)
Pakistan thanked countries for supporting the inclusion of transboundary water cooperation in the final resolution.
The UN record identifies the measure as draft resolution A/HRC/63/L.34, titled “The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation”. Germany and Spain submitted the draft, while Khokhar was among the representatives who spoke during its consideration.
Two proposed amendments, L.39 and L.40, were rejected before the main resolution was adopted without a vote. Both amendments received 10 votes in favour, 17 against and nine abstentions.
The 63rd session of the Human Rights Council was held in Geneva from September 7 to October 7, 2026. (HRC Portal)
