Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State in Bishkek on Tuesday that water must never be used as a weapon (Dawn).
What he said
“Water is the lifeblood of our region,” Shehbaz told the summit. “It sustains millions of lives, nourishes our land and secures the very future of our coming generations.”
“It must never be weaponised; it cannot be used as an instrument of coercion.”
He added that “the treaties governing our shared waters are solemn, binding international commitments.”
Who he was addressing
The prime minister did not name a country. The remarks were made in a hall that included leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran and Türkiye, and they follow India’s warnings over the Indus Waters Treaty — the 1960 agreement, brokered by the World Bank, that governs the rivers on which Pakistan’s agriculture depends.
Making the argument at the SCO rather than bilaterally puts it in front of Beijing and Moscow, both of which have their own transboundary river disputes, and both of which Pakistan will be chairing meetings of over the coming year.
The wider address
Shehbaz also said the SCO provides “a shade of security and stability for all of us”, and set out Pakistan’s priorities for its incoming chairmanship: information technology, artificial intelligence, energy development, poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports.
Context
The summit ran from 31 August to 1 September in the Kyrgyz capital, with the Council of Heads of State and the SCO Plus session both held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
Pakistan takes over the chairmanship of the Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, and will host next year’s summit in Islamabad.
[Image: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 1 September 2026. Via Dawn.]
[Image: PID via Dawn]
