Shehbaz Warns of Decisive Response if India Blocks Pakistan’s Water
Sharif stressed that water is Pakistan’s lifeline and that no compromise would be made on the country’s rights under international agreements
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned that any attempt to stop the flow of water into Pakistan would violate the Indus Waters Treaty and be met with a “decisive response.”
Addressing an event in Islamabad, he said, “Enemy [India] can’t snatch even a single drop of water from Pakistan. You threatened to stop our water. If you attempt such a move, Pakistan will teach you a lesson you will never forget.”
Sharif stressed that water is Pakistan’s lifeline and that no compromise would be made on the country’s rights under international agreements, according to Geo News.
Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April, which killed 26 people, India, exercising its sovereign rights under international law, placed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan, assisted by the World Bank, which is also a signatory. Initiated by former World Bank President Eugene Black, the treaty is regarded as one of the most successful international agreements, having withstood decades of tensions and conflict.
Under the treaty, Pakistan controls the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), while India controls the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej). The agreement allows limited usage rights to each country for rivers under the other’s control, with India entitled to 20 per cent of the Indus River System’s water and Pakistan receiving the remaining 80 per cent.
The treaty, described by former US President Dwight Eisenhower as “one bright spot in a very depressing world picture,” has often drawn criticism in India for being overly generous to Pakistan despite its continued support for terrorism.