ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday warned that Pakistan would destroy any infrastructure India attempts to build to obstruct the flow of the Indus River, which is vital for Pakistan’s agriculture and livelihoods.
Talking to a private TV channel, Defence Minister Asif said that a military confrontation with India has become inevitable, stating that hostilities could erupt “at any time” amid heightened tensions after the Pahalgam incident.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that water from India that once flowed across borders will be stopped.
Islamabad has warned that any attempt by India to block or divert Pakistan’s river waters would be deemed an “act of war”.
The Defence Minister said that Pakistan expected aggression from India and was fully prepared to respond to any misadventure.
Asif warned that India’s attempts to occupy Pakistan’s land will cost it dearly, as tensions continue to rise between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after the Pahalgam attack.
“India’s strategy to occupy Pakistan’s land will cost it dearly. If Indian rulers try to block Pakistan’s water, they will drown in it,” he warned.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have escalated after the April 22 attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Without furnishing credible evidence or conducting an investigation, India swiftly blamed Pakistan, alleging “cross-border linkages” in the incident.
Pakistan has condemned the attack in the strongest terms and firmly rejected Indian allegations as baseless.
Islamabad has repeatedly called for a neutral, transparent and independent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, but New Delhi has yet to respond to the proposal.
A day after the Pahalgam attack, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security on April 23 approved punitive measures against Pakistan, including the closure of the Wagah-Attari border crossing and suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Islamabad has warned that any attempt by India to block or divert Pakistan’s river waters would be deemed an “act of war”.
Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) said on Tuesday that the flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan had been reduced by nearly 90 percent, days after India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty.
Established in 1960 with World Bank facilitation, the treaty has survived multiple wars and was regarded as a rare example of water cooperation.
It allocated the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan, and the eastern ones—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India.
The suspension of the treaty has further raised alarm in Islamabad, with IRSA officials calling the drastic reduction in water flow a deliberate act of hostility.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and services chief, visited the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Islamabad.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the high-level delegation was briefed on the prevailing security environment and Pakistan’s preparedness in light of the “increasingly aggressive and provocative posture” adopted by India along the eastern border.
The briefing covered regional developments and the evolving threat landscape, including conventional military threats, hybrid warfare, and the use of non-state proxies.
Khawaja Asif said that the civil and military leadership were informed during the briefing that Indian aggression was expected.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint” and step back from the brink.
Speaking at a press briefing, Guterres said, “Tensions between India and Pakistan are at their highest in years… Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink.”
The UN chief stressed, “Make no mistake, a military solution is no solution.” He also offered the UN’s good offices to both countries to facilitate de-escalation and dialogue.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the India-Pakistan situation under the long-standing agenda item titled “India-Pakistan Question”.
The meeting was requested by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.
Speaking after the session, Ambassador Ahmad said several Council members called for de-escalation and underscored the importance of resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
“The Kashmir issue remains unresolved after more than seventy years. Conflicts may be ignored but they do not disappear—they deepen,” he remarked.
“The stakes are higher than ever, with escalating rhetoric, military posturing, and provocative actions threatening not just Pakistan, but regional and global peace.”
On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that water from India that once flowed across borders will be stopped.
“India’s water used to go outside, now it will flow for India”, Modi said in a speech in New Delhi.
“India’s water will be stopped for India’s interests, and it will be utilised for India.”
Pakistan has warned that tampering with its rivers would be considered “an act of war”.
Modi did not mention Islamabad specifically, but his speech comes after New Delhi suspended its part of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, which governs water critical to parched Pakistan for consumption and agriculture.
Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has reiterated that any attempt by India to restrict Pakistan’s water supply or initiate military action would receive a swift and firm response.
