Pakistan's Prime Minister: Any attempt to halt, reduce, or divert waters under Indus Waters Treaty will be met with force.

Pakistan's Prime Minister: Any attempt to halt, reduce, or divert waters under Indus Waters Treaty will be met with force.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a stern warning to India, stating that any attempt to halt, reduce, or divert waters under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be met with "full force." This comes in response to India's recent decision to suspend the treaty following a terror attack in the Pahalgam area of Kashmir [1].

The IWT, signed in 1960, is a key agreement between India and Pakistan that governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries. India's suspension of the treaty is seen as a strong retaliatory measure against Pakistan for the recent terror attack, which India has linked to Pakistani support [2].

Prime Minister Sharif expressed his disappointment with India's action, describing it as an "act of war" and an "example of perpetual blame game." He warned that Pakistan will respond with "full force" if India attempts to divert the waters [1].

Legal experts have weighed in on the legality of India's move. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul and former Indus Water Commissioner PK Saxena have both argued that international legal conventions, including the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, allow for the suspension of the treaty in the case of a fundamental change in circumstances [2].

India has argued that the current situation, characterized by repeated terror attacks and threats to its sovereignty, constitutes a fundamental change in circumstances that justifies the suspension of the treaty [2]. However, Pakistan has rejected this argument and has called for negotiations and international arbitration through the UN to resolve the situation.

The suspension of the treaty does not immediately stop the flow of water. India has several options, including refusing to share monthly reports of water flow data, restricting water flow, or even closing or reducing the flow of water into the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, or Sutlej rivers [2].

The move has significant implications for the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, as well as the broader regional security environment. As summer approaches, any steps taken by India to restrict water flow towards Pakistan could have serious consequences for the lives of Pakistanis who depend on the water supply for drinking, agriculture, electricity generation, and transport.

References:
[1] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/indus-waters-treaty-in-abeyance-pakistan-will-respond-with-full-force-says-pm-shehbaz-sharif/videoshow/120650806.cms
[2] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/international-law-india-suspend-indus-waters-treaty-pakistan-experts-pahalgam-terror-attack-2715313-2025-04-25