In a provocative escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry issued a direct threat to India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, echoing the language of UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
Speaking at a public event in a Pakistani university, Chaudhry declared, “If you block our water, we will choke your breath,” in response to India’s decision to halt aspects of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. His remarks mirror Hafiz Saeed’s infamous threats, sparking outrage and drawing sharp criticism from Indian observers.
India’s suspension of treaty obligations, announced on April 23, came a day after the Pahalgam attack. The move was followed by Operation Sindoor on May 7, in which Indian forces targeted nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed water sharing between India and Pakistan for over six decades. However, India has increasingly signaled that its patience is wearing thin over Islamabad’s alleged inaction on cross-border terrorism. New Delhi maintains that “blood and water cannot flow together” and has tied future cooperation to Pakistan’s commitment to ending terror support.
Lt Gen Chaudhry’s remarks are seen as an official endorsement of extremist rhetoric, further straining India-Pakistan ties. Analysts warn that such statements could erode diplomatic space and increase the risk of confrontation in an already volatile regional climate.
