New Delhi: In a veiled threat, Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif has threatened to “destroy any structure” that India might build to divert water under the now-suspended Indus Water Treaty (IWT). His comments come days after India announced the suspension of the decades-old treaty in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
Speaking on Pakistani news channel Geo News on Friday, Asif said, “Certainly, if they (India) attempt to build any kind of structure, we will strike it.” The minister further added that any construction on the Indus River that undermines Pakistan’s water share would be deemed an act of aggression. “Aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets; it has many faces. One of those faces is [blocking or diverting water], which could lead to deaths due to hunger and thirst,” he added.
Escalating war of words
Reiterating Pakistan’s stance, Asif warned, “If they make any architectural attempt, then Pakistan will destroy that structure.” However, he also noted that Islamabad would first pursue the matter through available diplomatic and legal forums.
His remarks follow an escalating war of words between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — which historically allocates 80 per cent of the waters from the Indus system to Pakistan and 20 per cent to India.
On April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that those behind the attack, and their supporters, would be “punished”. Subsequently, in a high-level meeting with defence officials on April 29, Modi reportedly granted the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the nature and timing of any response.
BJP dismisses threats as hollow
Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil had earlier said that New Delhi would ensure “not even a drop of water” flows to Pakistan. However, experts note that India currently lacks sufficient storage infrastructure on the rivers allocated to Pakistan to immediately halt water flow.
Responding to Asif’s statements, BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain dismissed the threats as “hollow” and symptomatic of panic within Pakistan’s leadership. “Khawaja Asif is visibly shaken. Though he is Pakistan’s defence minister, he hardly has any control. He’s merely a ‘statement minister’, constantly issuing hollow threats. The fear among Pakistanis is evident. They are losing sleep at night,” Hussain told reporters.
