ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned India against any attempt to withhold Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty, declaring that “not even a single drop” of water could be taken by force, amid ongoing tensions over regional hydropower resources.
“I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind that you cannot snatch even one drop from Pakistan,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.
In April, India announced it was holding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir, which killed 26 people—an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without providing any evidence.
Islamabad condemned the incident and strongly denied New Delhi’s allegations as baseless and offered an independent and transparent international investigation into the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan strongly condemned India’s move to hold the water treaty in abeyance, calling any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war” and stressing that the treaty contains no provisions for unilateral suspension.
Islamabad later indicated it was considering legal action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued a supplemental award, ruling that India could not unilaterally suspend or hold the treaty in abeyance.
India responded by rejecting the court’s jurisdiction and refusing to recognise its decisions.
In a press release issued on Monday, the PCA confirmed that it had delivered an award on Friday in the arbitration initiated by Pakistan against India on August 19, 2016, under Article IX and Annexure G of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Prime Minister Sharif warned that if India tried to stop Pakistan’s water, it would be taught such a lesson that it would never forget.
“Our air force shot down six of their jets, among which four of them were Rafales,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister also extended Independence Day greetings to the representatives of the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Parsi communities in attendance at the event.
“The brothers and sisters of the minority communities also played an integral role in the movement for Pakistan,” he said, adding that not only did they play a role in the founding of the country, but also played a role in the development of the country.
Speaking on the recent conflict between Pakistan and India, the prime minister said: “The way we smashed the enemy in this conflict, they will remember it for a lifetime.”
