Islamabad: Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistani military, has issued a stark warning to India, using language similar to that of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Hafiz Saeed. Speaking at a university event in Pakistan, Chaudhry responded to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan stops supporting terrorism originating from its territory.

Referring to the treaty suspension following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, he stated, “If you block our water, we will choke your breath.”

These words closely mirror the hostile rhetoric often used by Hafiz Saeed, the LeT founder responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. A video circulating on social media shows Saeed making the same statement.

Indus Waters Treaty suspended after terror attack

India suspended parts of the Indus Waters Treaty on 23 April, one day after a terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. The treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, regulates the sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi has reiterated its stance that “blood and water cannot flow together; talk and terror cannot go together,” signalling a tougher approach towards Pakistan’s alleged backing of cross-border terrorism.

The suspension is part of a broader series of countermeasures against Pakistan, including “Operation Sindoor” launched on 7 May, which targeted nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

India’s clear position on dialogue and Kashmir

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that any future talks with Pakistan will focus exclusively on the withdrawal of illegally occupied Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised, “Terror and talks can’t coexist,” while affirming India’s willingness to discuss only the extradition of terrorists listed with Islamabad.

Jaiswal also confirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible, irreversible steps to end its support for terrorism, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement: “Water and blood cannot flow together.”

Diplomatic fallout and expulsions

In a related move, two staff members of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were declared ‘persona non grata’ due to activities inconsistent with their official roles. “One has already left India, and the other was given 24 hours to do so,” Jaiswal said, highlighting the gravity of their conduct.

Modi issues stern warning to Pakistan

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi addressed a rally in Bikaner, Rajasthan, delivering a strong message to Islamabad. He warned that Pakistan would “struggle for every penny” if it continued supporting terrorism and asserted that India would withhold its rightful share of water under the current treaty terms.

“Playing with the blood of Indians will now cost Pakistan heavily,” Modi declared, underlining India’s firm stance against terror-backed aggression.

IANS input