• By Imran Zafar
  • Sat, 03 May 2025 06:57 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning to India on Friday, stating that Islamabad would strike any Indian structure built on the Indus River to cut off water supply to Pakistan in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). This warning comes amid escalating tensions following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people.

In a televised interview with Geo News, Asif said any attempt by India to construct dams or divert Pakistan's water share would be considered an act of aggression. ''Even an architectural attempt will be met with destruction,'' he asserted, accusing India of weaponising water resources.

"Certainly, if they attempt to build any structure, we will strike it. Aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets; it has many faces. One of those faces is (blocking or diverting water), which could lead to deaths due to hunger and thirst," Asif said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

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India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack, attributing the move to Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism. The decision, taken by India’s Cabinet Committee on Security, stated that the IWT would be held in abeyance until Pakistan credibly ends its backing of terrorism.

While the IWT has no unilateral exit clause, India’s move signals a significant departure from decades of cooperation under the treaty, which is crucial for irrigating over 80 per cent of Pakistan’s agricultural land.

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Asif acknowledged that Pakistan would initially pursue diplomatic and legal avenues, beginning with provisions under the Indus Waters Treaty. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik told Reuters that Islamabad is exploring legal options through the World Bank, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Security Council.

Responding to Asif’s remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the defence minister’s “hollow threats” reflect Pakistan’s internal panic. “He’s visibly shaken and merely acting as a ‘statement minister’,” Hussain remarked, asserting that Pakistan fears India’s decisive actions.