PAKISTAN has warned India over its threat to cut its share of water from the Indus River system, saying such a move would trigger consequences lasting for generations.
The firm and categorical warning came from Army spokesperson Lt.General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry during an interview with Arab News in the backdrop of unilateral suspension of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by India on the pretext of the Pahalgam attack and consistent reports that New Delhi was pursuing plans to block Pakistan’s share of water under the World Bank brokered accord.
The spokesperson was unequivocal in expressing resolve of the country in case India weaponizes water and blocks the flow of an Indus River tributary.
He said, “It is some madman who can think that he can stop water of 240 million plus people of this country.
I hope that time doesn’t come, but it will be such actions that the world will see and the consequences of that we will fight for years and decades to come.
Nobody dare stop water of Pakistan.”
Indian statements and actions vis-à-vis flow of water to Pakistan clearly go against the spirit of the ceasefire.
As in the case of Kashmir issue in initial years, India rushed to the international community begging ceasefire in the face of a comprehensive retaliatory strikes by Pakistan and Islamabad accepted the proposal mediated by some friendly countries in the hope that India will shun rhetoric and reciprocate by taking tangible measures to reduce tension and initiate meaningful dialogue for sustainable peace and security in the region.
However, there are discouraging signals from New Delhi as leaders of the ruling party are raising the ante once again by their mischievous water agenda.
There are clear indications that India was taking measures to implement the threat repeatedly hurled by Prime Minister Modi to stop Pakistan’s water on the pretext that water and blood cannot flow together.
In a provocative move widely seen as a form of “hydrological warfare”, India has accelerated work on a controversial river-linking project aimed at diverting the flow of River Chenab to the Beas and Ravi rivers, raising grave concerns in Pakistan about its future water security.
The planned diversion, if completed, could drastically reduce Pakistan’s access to Chenab’s waters, severely impacting agriculture, ecology and downstream communities.
Apart from flushing of all water reservoirs in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir as part of the plan to increase the water storage capacity (besides flooding in Pakistan and silting of its water reservoirs), there are also many other plans to construct dams at different sites in clear violations of the IWT.
It is because of the catastrophic consequences of such moves for the agriculture-based economy of Pakistan that Islamabad has warned stoppage of water amounts to an act of war and a red line.
General Chaudhry reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace by declaring that as far as the Pakistan Army is concerned, the ongoing ceasefire will easily hold.
However, at the same time, he minced no words in warning that any violation will get a befitting response.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has done well by deciding to send a powerful delegation to important world capitals to expose Indian propaganda against Pakistan.
The delegation, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, includes vocal members of the parliament and prominent former diplomats, who are fully familiar with the issues involved.
It is hoped that, apart from countering India’s false narrative relating to terrorism and prevailing situation, the delegation will sensitize the international community about India’s dangerous move to suspend IWT and stop Pakistan’s share of water and its consequences for regional peace and security.
It is time the international community, especially the mediators of the ceasefire, should pressurize India not to breach international law.
In the backdrop of reports that India has started procuring latest weapons from different sources as part of preparations for another round of conflict with Pakistan, the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to China assumes greater significance.
There is a need to counter Indian moves in this regard in a timely manner.
