India-Pakistan Conflict: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has threatened “serious consequences” if India proceeds with its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), vowing not to let New Delhi take “even a drop” of Pakistan’s share of water. This marks the fourth high-profile threat in just three days from Islamabad, following similar warnings by army chief General Asim Munir, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Sharif’s warning amid escalating tensions
Addressing an event on Tuesday, Sharif accused India of weaponising water resources and undermining the decades-old water-sharing agreement. His remarks follow New Delhi’s decision, announced in April, to suspend the 1960 treaty in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terror group TRF.
“We will not allow India to take away even a drop of water that belongs to Pakistan. If you (India) touch Pakistan’s share of water, we will teach you a lesson. You will hold your ears and promise never to touch Pakistan’s share of water again,” Sharif declared, framing the treaty as a matter of national survival.
Bilawal’s message to India
On Monday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had issued an equally stark warning during the National Assembly’s budget session. Calling India’s suspension of the IWT “illegal and provocative”, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman claimed that the treaty contains no provision for such action.
“India has two options. Either share water fairly, or we will take it from all six rivers,” he said. Bilawal described the move as a form of aggression under the UN Charter and warned it could push the two nuclear-armed neighbours into open conflict.
He also accused India of politicising terrorism and misusing global platforms to undermine Pakistan, citing attempts to reverse Islamabad’s removal from the FATF grey list. While acknowledging Pakistan’s own security challenges, he cautioned that automatic retaliation to terror incidents would only fuel instability.
Asim Munir threatens India from US
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Sunday issued a stark nuclear warning to India, The Print reported. Speaking at a dinner in Florida, US, Munir said, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.”
His remarks marked first such threat from US soil. He linked the warning to India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, claiming it endangered 250 million Pakistanis. Munir reportedly threatened to destroy any future Indian dam on the Indus with “10 missiles”, adding, “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of missiles. We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles].”
Indus Waters Treaty
Signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, the Indus Waters Treaty remains one of the rare surviving agreements between India and Pakistan. It allocates the eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to India, while granting Pakistan rights over the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
India’s suspension of the treaty has been justified by India as a response to cross-border terrorism, but Islamabad insists it is a breach of international law. The treaty has withstood multiple wars and diplomatic breakdowns over six decades, making its current suspension particularly significant.