ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned India that it will not be allowed to take “even one drop” of water from Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
“You threatened to stop our water. If you attempt such a move, Pakistan will teach you a lesson you will never forget,” Sharif said at a ceremony in Islamabad, stressing that water is Pakistan’s lifeline and that there will be “no compromise” on its treaty rights.
Pakistan has long maintained that any attempt to block its water flow would be considered an act of war.
His remarks follow a recent speech by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in the United States, where he reportedly threatened India with nuclear retaliation, declaring, “If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” He also warned against Indian projects on Indus River channels, saying they could cripple Pakistan’s water supply.
India condemned Munir’s comments as “nuclear sabre-rattling,” with the Ministry of External Affairs calling them “regrettable” and pointing to concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear command and control.
Tensions have escalated since India suspended the IWT on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people — an attack New Delhi blames on Islamabad. The treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs water sharing from the Indus system, which sustains 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has ruled out restoring the accord, stating that water diverted from Pakistan will be channelled to Rajasthan instead.
The IWT remains suspended despite a ceasefire agreement reached in May between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
