‘Every drop is ours’: Pakistan slams India’s Indus treaty suspension as ‘water warfare’
New Delhi: In the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has triggered a sharp response from Pakistan, which termed the move an act of “water warfare.” Pakistan’s energy minister Awais Leghari accused India of violating international law and pledged to challenge the decision on global platforms, tweeting, “India’s reckless suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is an act of water warfare… Every drop is ours by right, and we will defend it with full force — legally, politically, and globally.”
Brokered by the World Bank in 1960, the treaty allows India to control the eastern rivers while guaranteeing Pakistan access to 80% of the Indus basin’s water. India’s withdrawal from the agreement is seen as part of its broader diplomatic offensive against Islamabad after The Resistance Front (TRF) — a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot — claimed responsibility for the massacre of 26 people, mostly tourists, in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
India has also expelled Pakistani diplomats, shut down the Wagah-Attari land border, and revoked visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, signaling that it holds Pakistan culpable for the attack — a charge Pakistan has denied.
During a high-level National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, Pakistani leaders reviewed India’s retaliatory actions. In response, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar refuted India’s allegations and demanded proof. “If India has any evidence (on the Pahalgam attack), it should present it,” he said, calling the move politically motivated.
WILL RESPOND TO INDIA WORD BY WORD:
Dar emphasized that Pakistan would counter New Delhi’s decisions point by point, asserting, “This is nothing but a political ploy. India is trying to blame Pakistan for its own failures,” as reported by Samaa TV.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif echoed this stance, warning of a “strong and effective” response. He added, “India has long sought to exit the Indus treaty. But with the World Bank involved, India cannot unilaterally terminate it.”