Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said peace should not be mistaken for weakness and called water resources a red line in his Independence Day address.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used his Independence Day message to issue a pointed warning to India over water resources, while saying Islamabad wants peace rather than war.

Speaking in Islamabad on Thursday at the inauguration of the Yadgar-e-Fatah, or Victory Monument, Sharif said Pakistan's pursuit of peace should not be interpreted as weakness. He warned that any threat to Pakistan's sovereignty would draw a strong response.

Water Becomes Flashpoint

Sharif specifically targeted India over the Indus Waters Treaty, declaring that every drop of Pakistan's water was a “red line”. He said Pakistan would respond directly if India continued on what Islamabad considers the wrong course.

The remarks underline the growing importance of water in India-Pakistan relations following the military confrontation between the two countries in May 2025.

Pakistan maintains that India has violated or improperly placed the treaty in abeyance. That is Islamabad's position and should be distinguished from India's stated position on the matter.

India's Treaty Position

India announced on April 23, 2025, that it would hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance with immediate effect. The Ministry of External Affairs said the decision would remain in force until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ended its support for cross-border terrorism.

India subsequently reiterated that the treaty remained in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the government. New Delhi has linked the measure to its security concerns following the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent military escalation.

May Conflict In Background

Sharif's comments also referred to the four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025. The confrontation followed the killing of 26 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan-backed militants, while Pakistan denied the allegation.

The nuclear-armed neighbours exchanged missile and drone strikes before a ceasefire brought the fighting to an end. The two sides continue to hold sharply different positions on the events that led to the confrontation.

Islamabad Pushes Message

Pakistan's government has presented this year's Independence Day events as a demonstration of national unity and military resolve. The newly inaugurated Yadgar-e-Fatah was described by Pakistani officials as a monument commemorating what they call a victory in the 2025 conflict.

Sharif also said Pakistan wanted regional disputes resolved through peaceful means and referred to the UN Charter. His remarks combined calls for peace with warnings against any future threat to Pakistan's sovereignty.

India-Pakistan Tensions

The water dispute adds another sensitive issue to already strained bilateral ties. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 with World Bank involvement, established arrangements for sharing the waters of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan.

India says its decision to place the treaty in abeyance is linked to Pakistan's alleged support for cross-border terrorism. Pakistan rejects that position and continues to assert its rights under the agreement. The competing claims have made water management a major point of contention between the neighbours.

What Comes Next

Sharif's Independence Day remarks are unlikely to ease the immediate dispute over the Indus waters. His message paired an expressed preference for peace with a clear warning that Pakistan would defend what it considers vital national interests.

For India-Pakistan relations, the key issue remains whether the two sides can prevent the water dispute from adding to wider security tensions. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's latest warning shows that the Indus Waters Treaty remains firmly at the centre of Islamabad's confrontation with New Delhi.