‘Not a drop will be snatched’: Shehbaz Sharif's 'stern warning' to India over Indus water dispute

The Pak PM described water as Pakistan’s “lifeline” and vowed no compromise on the nation’s rights under international agreements

Any attempt to block water flows into Pakistan would violate the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and provoke a “decisive response", Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, issuing a stern warning to India yet again.

Addressing an event in Islamabad, Sharif allegedly declared, “The enemy cannot snatch even a single drop of water from Pakistan. If you attempt such a move, we will teach you a lesson you will never forget.” He described water as Pakistan’s “lifeline” and vowed no compromise on the nation’s rights under international agreements, it has been learnt from a Geo News report.

To be noted, Sharif's remarks came shortly after Islamabad urged New Delhi to immediately restore the treaty in light of a recent Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling directing India to allow the unrestricted flow of western rivers to Pakistan.

India, however, has not recognised the tribunal’s jurisdiction over disputes arising from the treaty.

The 1960 treaty, brokered by the World Bank after nine years of negotiations, divides control of the Indus river system between the two countries -- the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers go to Pakistan, while India retains the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. India is allowed 20 percent of the total water flow, with 80 percent allocated to Pakistan.

Despite the existing ceasefire, which was announced on the evening of May 10 following nearly 100 hours of intense cross-border military operations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan continues its anti-India rhetoric on various occasions.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a visit to the U.S. on Sunday, threatened to strike any future Indian dams on the Indus River and warned that Pakistan had “no shortage of missiles.” He went further, issuing a nuclear threat, saying, “If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.”

India has, however, strongly dismissed Pakistan’s objections, pointing to repeated cross-border terror attacks as justification for its decision.

Prime Minister Modi has previously said, “Terror and talks cannot go together; water and blood cannot flow together.” He added, “Instead of supporting India’s fight against terror, Pakistan chose to attack schools, colleges, religious sites, and military installations… but their drones and missiles failed against India’s air defence systems.”

New Delhi continues to maintain that the suspension will remain until Islamabad “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism.