Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned Tuesday that any structure built by India to divert Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would be destroyed, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The remarks came after India announced it would suspend the 1960 treaty, which governs water sharing between the two countries, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam April 22 that killed 26 civilians. The treaty guarantees Pakistan access to 80 per cent of the water from the Indus River system, crucial for its agriculture.
“If India attempts to divert our water, it will be seen as an act of aggression,” Asif said in an interview. “Even an architectural attempt to build such structures will be met with destruction.”
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India’s Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil recently stated that New Delhi would ensure “not even a drop” of Indus water flows to Pakistan. However, experts note that India lacks sufficient storage capacity to immediately halt water flow to Pakistan.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain dismissed Asif’s comments as ‘hollow threats,’ claiming they reflected Pakistan’s desperation. “Pakistan’s leaders are losing sleep over India’s decisions,” Hussain told reporters.
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have also issued stark warnings, with Sharif calling any water diversion an ‘act of war.’
India is reportedly reviewing legal and technical options to maximise its water usage under the treaty.
PNN
