Shehbaz Sharif warns India over Indus Waters Treaty.
Islamabad / New Delhi:
In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a fresh warning to India over the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), vowing that his country will. The remarks, made on Tuesday at a ceremony in Islamabad, reflect growing tensions between the two neighbours after India recently put the 1960 treaty in “abeyance” — a suspension announced on April 23, a day after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack claimed 26 lives.
The IWT, brokered by the World Bank more than six decades ago, governs the sharing of waters from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. It has survived multiple wars and periods of hostility, but the recent suspension marks one of the most serious blows to the agreement in its history. India’s move is widely seen as part of a series of punitive measures in response to Pakistan-based militancy.
you cannot snatch even one drop of Pakistan’s share.” His words drew applause from the audience.
Sharif went a step further, issuing a pointed warning: “If India attempts such an act, you will be again taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears.” In South Asian cultural context, “holding your ears” is an idiom for admitting fault after a severe reprimand — a phrase meant to underline his threat of retaliation.
Pakistan has consistently argued that any disruption in water flow from India would be tantamount to an act of war, given the country’s heavy reliance on the Indus system for agriculture, drinking water, and industry. The PM’s remarks are the latest in a series of high-level warnings from Islamabad since India’s April decision.
Bilawal’s comments also drew reactions from India. Veteran Bollywood actor and politician Mithun Chakraborty reportedly slammed Bhutto, dismissing his rhetoric and suggesting Pakistan should first focus on addressing its own internal problems before threatening India.
The Army chief’s warning
The general’s words echoed the longstanding position of the Pakistani security establishment — that water is as much a strategic security issue as it is an economic one. His statement also appeared aimed at rallying expatriate Pakistanis and reinforcing the idea that both the civilian and military leadership are united on the issue.
A fragile agreement under strain
Despite multiple wars — in 1965, 1971, and 1999 — and countless border skirmishes, the treaty had endured, largely because it was seen as mutually beneficial and insulated from broader political disputes. However, in recent years, India has signalled growing frustration over Pakistan’s alleged role in cross-border terrorism, and water has increasingly been mentioned in political speeches as a potential lever of pressure.
Pakistan, on the other hand, fears that even small changes in water flow could devastate its largely agrarian economy. The country’s water resources are already under severe strain due to climate change, population growth, and mismanagement, making any disruption from upstream a potentially existential threat.
With tempers rising on both sides, international observers worry that water — once a rare point of cooperation between the two rivals — may now become another flashpoint in an already volatile relationship.
For now, the warnings from Islamabad are verbal, but they are unmistakably laced with the language of confrontation. Sharif, Bhutto, and Munir have all made it clear: Pakistan will view any attempt to curtail its water supply as a red line. How New Delhi responds in the coming weeks will likely determine whether this dispute remains a war of words — or risks spilling into something far more dangerous.