GENEVA: Pakistan’s Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, addressing the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, called for holding India accountable for threatening to halt the flow of Indus River waters, warning that such actions would jeopardize the health of more than 240 million Pakistanis.
Kamal said that weaponizing water and targeting civilian health infrastructure constitutes a violation of international law. He noted that during recent regional tensions, Indian strikes damaged a government dispensary, disrupting healthcare delivery in vulnerable areas.
The minister also condemned Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, referencing the loss of civilian lives and damage to infrastructure in Gaza.
Kamal reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s global health agenda. He listed polio eradication as a national priority and highlighted progress in reducing preventable maternal and child mortality, increasing immunization coverage, and addressing diseases such as HIV, malaria, dengue, and hepatitis.
He also welcomed the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement.
India responded to Kamal’s remarks by reiterating its position and issuing familiar accusations against Pakistan.
In response, Danyal Hasnain, Second Secretary at Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, said that access to Indus waters is a matter of survival for Pakistan as a lower riparian state. He warned that Pakistan would respond to provocations using all means available.
Hasnain said recent actions by the Indian government threatened regional stability and violated international law, including the UN Charter. He characterized India’s military conduct as reckless and legally indefensible.
