Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar warned that the precarious ceasefire with India would break if New Delhi doesn’t roll back its suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. In an interview with CNN, Dar called India’s action an “act of war,” citing Pakistan’s dependence on water resources covered by the treaty.
India suspended enforcement of the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty after last month’s terrorist attack at Pahalgam, Kashmir, which left 26 dead. India accused Pakistan-based militants of carrying out the attack, something to which Islamabad objects, demanding instead an international probe.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, “blood and water cannot run together,” reiterating the move to put the agreement on hold. Indian news sources covered the shutdown of the Baglihar dam in Kashmir, limiting the flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan.
India’s response is one of a number of retaliatory moves in response to the attack. The military escalation that followed includes Indian air strikes on suspected militant bases inside Pakistan “Operation Sindoor” and retaliatory exchanges of artillery, drone, and missile fire over four days. A ceasefire was finally agreed at the weekend.
Dar referred to India’s military actions as an attempt at regional dominance that had failed and cautioned that Pakistan would never let water be used as a weapon. He further stated that Pakistan’s conventional military strength could repel any aggression.
Although India attributes the ceasefire to the bilateral talks, US President Donald Trump asserted that the Trump administration was instrumental in securing the truce to avert a possible nuclear war. There was no personal communication with the Indian authorities, Dar confirmed, adding that American Secretary of State Marco Rubio represented India’s expression of intent for ceasing firing.
India’s suspension of the treaty is the most severe test of the historic accord, which had endured decades of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
