Pakistan Warns India Against Blocking Water Flow, Calls It an “Act of War”

اسلام آباد:

Pakistan has strongly warned India against any attempt to block water flow to the country, stating that such an action would be treated with the “utmost seriousness” and could amount to an “act of war.”

The statement came after Indian Minister of Water Resources CR Patil said that New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop of water” reaches neighbouring Pakistan.

Responding during a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said any move to stop water flow to Pakistan would be a deeply irresponsible act and a clear violation of international commitments, including the Indus Waters Treaty.

“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its economy, vital national interests, and the lives of its 250 million people,” Andrabi stated.

He emphasized that water is a basic necessity and any attempt to weaponize it would threaten regional peace and stability. Pakistan also urged India to honor its international obligations and avoid escalating tensions in South Asia.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the sharing of river waters between the two countries and has long been considered one of the few enduring agreements between Islamabad and New Delhi despite decades of political tensions.

The latest exchange of statements has further intensified already strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.