Sharif: Pakistan Vows to Protect Indus Water

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday became the latest leader in Islamabad to issue yet another empty threat against India over the Indus

Waters Treaty (IWT), saying that any attempt to cut water supplies would meet a “decisive response.” Speaking at an event in the capital, Sharif 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.” Calling water Pakistan’s “lifeline,” Sharif said there would be no compromise on the country’s rights under international agreements. His warning follows similar statements from Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, intensifying rhetoric after India suspended the IWT in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people.

IWT Suspension An ‘Attack On Civilisation’: Bhutto

A day before Sharif’s remarks, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned India’s decision, terming it “an attack on the Indus Valley civilisation.”

“If war is waged, then from the land of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai we will send a message to the Modi government that we do not retreat, we do not bow down, and if you dare think about launching an attack on the Indus River, then the people of every province of Pakistan will be ready to confront you,” Bhutto said.

He called the Indus not just Pakistan’s main water source but part of its history and culture, and warned, “We have enough strength to confront the enemy and take back the six rivers from them.”

Munir’s Threat From US Soil

Days earlier, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a visit to Tampa, Florida, had threatened that Pakistan would destroy “any dam India built to impede water flow,” saying, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with ten missiles.” He went further, warning that as a nuclear nation, Pakistan could “take half the world down” if it faced an existential threat.

‘Nuclear Sabre-Rattling Is Pakistan’s Stock In Trade’: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned Munir’s remarks, calling Pakistan “an irresponsible state with nuclear weapons.” In a pointed statement, the MEA said, “Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock in trade,” and reaffirmed, “India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail. We will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security.”