Islamabad (National Times): Islamabad has once again escalated its rhetoric against New Delhi, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warning that Pakistan will not allow India to take away “even a single drop” of its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday, Sharif said, “I want to send a message to the enemy—if you try to stop our water, remember this: you will never be able to take even one drop from Pakistan.” He further warned that any such attempt would invite a strong response, claiming India would be “taught such a lesson” it would not forget.
The comments come after India, on April 23, put the 1960 treaty in abeyance—a decision taken a day after the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead. Islamabad has repeatedly described any disruption of water flow as a potential “act of war.”
Sharif’s statement followed similar remarks by former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who described the treaty’s suspension as an “attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation” and said Pakistan would not shy away from conflict if provoked.
The rhetoric has sparked strong responses from Indian political leaders. Actor-turned-BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty, reacting to Bhutto’s comments, warned that India was capable of launching multiple BrahMos missiles if threatened. In his characteristically flamboyant style, he also joked that a dam would be built to collect waste from “140 crore Indians” before releasing it toward Pakistan—though he stressed his remarks were aimed at Pakistan’s establishment, not its ordinary citizens.
Adding to the tension, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir recently told an audience in Tampa, Florida, that Islamabad would destroy any dam if India attempted to cut off water supplies. “The Indus River is not Indian property,” he said, asserting that Pakistan had the means to “undo” any such plan.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the threats, saying they reflected the “deep-rooted link between Pakistan’s military and terror groups” and underlined global concerns over the country’s nuclear command structure. The MEA emphasised that New Delhi would take “all necessary steps” to safeguard national security and would not bow to nuclear blackmail.
The water dispute is the latest flashpoint in already strained relations, following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The two countries agreed to halt hostilities on May 10 after four days of cross-border exchanges involving drones and missiles.
