India has reacted strongly to the statement of Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif regarding the Indus Water Treaty. Rejecting the allegations, the Foreign Ministry has raised questions on human rights violations in PoK and Pakistan’s policies.
The rhetoric regarding the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan has once again intensified. India has taken a strong stand on the statement given by Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif regarding water security and possible military action. The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that Pakistan’s allegations are baseless and their aim is to divert attention from its internal crises.
India rejected Pakistan’s allegations
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the statements being made by Pakistan are an attempt to divert attention from the real issues. He said that people have been expressing dissatisfaction in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) for a long time and there are serious issues like economic exploitation, civil rights violations and administrative repression.
India says that instead of solving these problems, the Pakistan government is taking drastic steps to suppress the protests. The Ministry of External Affairs also mentioned issues like internet shutdown, impact on essential services and action against protesters.
India’s stand on Indus Water Treaty clear
India has reiterated that until Pakistan credibly and permanently ends cross-border terrorism, its current stand on the Indus Water Treaty will remain in place. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, issues related to national security cannot be ignored. Recently, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had said that if Pakistan’s water security is felt to be threatened, it will consider it a serious matter and will not shy away from taking necessary steps. After his statement, the diplomatic debate between the two countries has intensified.
India also objects to the Court of Arbitration
India has also refused to accept a decision of the so-called Court of Arbitration constituted under the Indus Water Treaty. India says that this process was not in accordance with the basic spirit of the treaty and the established mechanism, hence its decision cannot be recognized.
Equation changed after Pahalgam attack
India says that after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, aspects related to national security were reviewed. In the same context, India also considered its options regarding the Indus Water Treaty. The government has a clear view that terrorism and bilateral cooperation cannot go together.