Indus Water Treaty to stay in ‘abeyance’; Pakistan Lieutenant General warns India
The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan would stay in "abeyance" until Islamabad "credibly and irrevocably" stops supporting cross-border terrorism .
New Delhi (India) May 23: With the declaration that "blood and water cannot flow together; talk and terror cannot go together," New Delhi confirmed its position and showed that it stands strongly opposed to Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism.
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and issued a number of other harsh actions against Pakistan on April 23.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal when asked about the Indus Waters Treaty said, “It will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. As our prime minister has said, ‘Water and blood cannot flow together’.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a strong warning to Islamabad on Thursday on the Indus Waters Treaty. He declared that Pakistan would not receive India's fair share of water while speaking at a public rally in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Pakistan will have to fight for every cent if it keeps sending terrorists, he added. He claimed that Pakistan would have to pay a high price for its attacks and murders of Indians.
Modi said, “If Pakistan continues to export terrorists... then it will have to struggle for every penny. Pakistan will not get India's rightful share of water. Playing with the blood of Indians... will now cost Pakistan heavily. This is India's resolve and no power in the world can shake us from this resolve.”
After the agreement was suspended, Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources wrote to India's Ministry of External Affairs to warn that New Delhi's decision to withdraw it could cause a crisis in Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Pakistani military spokesperson, is believed to have used the same language as jailed terrorist Hafiz Saeed in his threat against India. Chaudhry addressed India's recent moves on the Indus Waters Treaty during a public event and said, “If you block our water, we will choke your breath.”
The two nations signed the IWT in 1960. It divided the six-river system between the two nations and was negotiated by the World Bank.
The Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers in the west were governed by Pakistan, while the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers in the east remained under Indian control.
The announcement of the restrictions came one day after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. In response to the Pahalgam terror incident, India launched detailed strikes against nine terror places on May 7.
Aadrika Tayal
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