Blocking Indus water will be an act of war by India, says Sartaj

islamabad — Pakistan would treat it as “an act of war” if India revoked the Indus Water Treaty regulating river flows between the two nations, Pakistan’s top foreign official said on Tuesday.

Tension has been mounting between the nuclear-armed neighbours since at least 18 Indian soldiers in the disputed Kashmir region were killed this month in an attack that New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militants without ‘proper investigation’.

One retaliatory move being considered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is for India to ‘maximise’ the amount of water it uses including by accelerating building of new hydropower plants, along three rivers that flow into Pakistan, a source with knowledge of a meeting attended by Modi on Monday told Reuters.

Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz

It’s highly irresponsible on part of India to even consider revocation of the Indus Water treaty

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to prime minister

Sharif, said Islamabad would seek arbitration with the Indus Water Commission which monitors the treaty if India increased the use of water from the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers. However, if India revoked the treaty, Sartaj said Pakistan would treat that as “an act of war or a hostile act against Pakistan.” “It’s highly irresponsible on part of India to even consider revocation of the Indus Water Treaty,” Sartaj told the National Assembly.

The treaty was signed in 1960 in a bid to resolve disputes, but India’s ambitious irrigation plans and construction of thousands of upstream dams has continued to annoy Pakistan. India says its use of upstream water is strictly in line with the agreement.

Sartaj said India’s provocative posturing constitutes a breach of the Indus Water Treaty and “threats of a water war are part of a military, economic and diplomatic campaign to build pressure on Pakistan”, and deflect attention from atrocities in the Indianheld Kashmir. —