Islamabad
\nThe Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) Lahore organised a seminar titled, \u201cWater as a Weapon in Modern-day Conflict: From International Treaties to Maritime Chokepoints,\u201d on 18 June 2026.
\nAs an independent think tank, CASS Lahore organises academic events for scholars and practitioners interested in national security in its wider context.
\nThe event was attended by academics, intellectuals, and domain experts. Air Marshal Irfan Ahmad, Director National Security at CASS Lahore, delivered the opening address.
\nSyed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters, framed South Asian water governance as \u201chydrostrategy,\u201d blending infrastructure, law, and political signalling.
\nIWT has provided stability in post-1948 water sharing, while the Indus Basin underpins Pakistan\u2019s reliance on dams and barrage systems.
\nHe highlighted emerging challenges like data control, flow regulation and \u201chydro-coercion,\u201d where water management can be used as a tool of strategic pressure.
\nHe called for coordinated legal, technical, and diplomatic efforts, better storage, and evidence-based policies to achieve sustainable water governance.
\nVice Admiral Ahmed Saeed described waterways as strategic assets including ports, sea routes, chokepoints, and maritime law. UNCLOS 1982 ensures balance between navigation freedom and coastal states\u2019 rights.
\nHe highlighted Pakistan\u2019s advantageous position in the Indian Ocean, where around 95% of trade and energy imports move by sea, serving as a bridge with global maritime trade.
\nHe emphasised Pakistan\u2019s $40 billion untapped maritime potential, and called for sustained investment, governance, and consistent policies for sustainable growth.
\nAhmer Bilal Soofi, President RSIL, explained that international law operates through peacetime, armed conflict, and occupation regimes.
\nHe described academic and institutional processes shaping doctrines like self-defence under Article 51, including anticipatory interpretations. Under UNCLOS 1982, freedom of navigation, blockades, and accountability for conflict damages were discussed.
\nHe referred to India\u2019s abrogation of Article 370, developments in IIOJK, and hydrological measures, stating that \u201cSindoor 2.0\u201d perpetuates a conflict mindset, undermining regional stability.
\nIn his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President CASS, Lahore, highlighted water\u2019s use as a geopolitical instrument.
\nHe emphasised Indus Rivers\u2019 importance to Pakistan\u2019s economy, raising concerns over India\u2019s use of water as a weapon of mass destruction, for which it has to face extreme consequences.
\nIndia\u2019s unilateral decision to put the IWT in abeyance is not accepted by Pakistan, and denies it vehemently. He stated that IWT remains legally binding and cited PCA\u2019s ruling upholding Pakistan\u2019s position.
\nHe observed that Iran used its prerogative according to the UNCLOS to block the Strait of Hormuz as its security was under threat. He concluded that weaponisation of IWT and Strait of Hormuz carry serious economic implications for the region and globe.
\nThe event concluded with a lively interactive session. It highlighted navigation charges, blockade\u2019s effects, and India\u2019s violations of international law. The participants appreciated CASS Lahore\u2019s initiative in hosting an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) Lahore organised a seminar titled, \u201cWater as a Weapon in Modern-day Conflict: From International Treaties to Maritime Chokepoints,\u201d on 18 June 2026. As an independent think tank, CASS Lahore organises academic events for scholars and practitioners interested in national security in its wider context. The event …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":99366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99385,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99357\/revisions\/99385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}