In a provocative statement that has drawn sharp comparisons to terrorist Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry recently issued a veiled threat to India over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Speaking at a Pakistani university, Chaudhry warned, “If you stop our waters, we’ll choke your breath.”
His remarks come in the wake of India’s decision to suspend key provisions of the IWT following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed several lives. India formally announced a set of retaliatory measures on April 23, accusing Pakistan of ongoing support for cross-border terrorism.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries—Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab—between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. It has long been seen as a rare diplomatic success between India and Pakistan, surviving multiple wars and skirmishes.
India’s recent actions include:
- Holding the IWT in abeyance until Pakistan takes action against terror groups.
- Closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari.
- Launching Operation Sindoor on May 7, which reportedly targeted nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Chaudhry’s remarks, reminiscent of Hafiz Saeed’s inflammatory rhetoric, have drawn widespread condemnation. Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is known for anti-India speeches and incitement.
India has consistently maintained, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
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