Pakistan Has “Huge Appetite” to Grow Ties With Russia, Says Awais Leghari
Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari has said Pakistan holds a huge appetite for expanding its partnership with Russia, calling Moscow’s cooperation essential for regional peace, security and economic growth. He also warned that any attempt to deny Pakistan its lawful water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty would amount to an act of war.
Leghari, who co-chairs the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, spoke in an interview with Russian news agency Sputnik published on Thursday.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has used every opportunity on the global stage to meet President Vladimir Putin, and that both leaders have shown genuine interest in closer ties. The minister pointed to untapped potential in agriculture, food security, energy, tourism and IT, adding that trade can be lifted through new rail links and Pakistan’s entry into the International North South Transport Corridor, a 7,200 kilometre network linking Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Central Asia. Bilateral trade stood at roughly $1 billion in 2023.
On Pakistan Steel Mills, built with Soviet assistance in 1971, Leghari pointed to continuing work with Russia. Moscow has offered two revival options, a blast furnace model at $1.91 billion or an electric arc furnace facility at $1.05 billion, after the government reversed its plan to liquidate the plant.
On water, Leghari urged a return to the Indus Waters Treaty’s dispute resolution mechanism, warning the consequences of a breakdown would be felt far beyond the region. India placed the 1960 treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack of April 2025.
A Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled on August 31, 2026 that the treaty remains fully in force, a decision India has rejected.
