Pakistan’s National Security Committee warned it would consider any diversion or blockage of water from Indian-controlled territory an “act of war”.
Indian authorities have reduced the flow of the Chenab River after closing sluice gates at the Baglihar Dam, amid escalating tensions between Pakistan—which depends on Himalayan waters originating from Indian-controlled territory—and India, which accuses its neighbor of supporting Kashmiri separatist armed groups.
India has blamed Islamabad for the April 22 bombing that killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir. In response, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which had committed India to allowing 80 percent of the Indus Basin’s water flow to reach Pakistan. On Saturday, the Indian government also announced a halt to imports from Pakistan and banned bilateral maritime trade.
India has now reduced water flow in the Chenab River and is reportedly preparing to do the same at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River, according to sources cited by the Indian news agency PTI.
Additionally, India reported armed clashes along the Line of Control and the border for ten consecutive nights, to which it responded “proportionately.”
Pakistan’s National Security Committee has warned that it will consider any diversion or blockage of water reaching the country from Indian-controlled territory an “act of war.” On Saturday, Pakistan conducted a test of its Abdali surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which has a range of 450 kilometers.
On Friday, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan would attack any infrastructure built over the Indus River that violates the Indus Waters Treaty.
“Acts of aggression are not limited to firing cannons or bullets. One such act—cutting off water—would cause death by hunger and thirst. If they attempt any construction, Pakistan will destroy it,” he said.
On Sunday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces to give an “appropriate response” to those with hostile intentions, suggesting a military answer to the brutal terror attack in Indian Kashmir.
“I want to assure you that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, what you desire will undoubtedly happen,” he said at a public event, echoing nationalist calls for a strong response to Pakistan.
“As Defense Minister, it is my duty to work alongside our soldiers and ensure the protection of our country’s borders. And it is my responsibility to deliver an appropriate response, with our armed forces, to those who challenge our nation,” he emphasized.
Pakistan and India have contested the Kashmir region since 1947 and have fought two of their three wars over it since independence from the United Kingdom. In 1999, they engaged in a brief but intense military conflict, and a fragile ceasefire has been in place since 2003.
In February 2019, India carried out an airstrike against an alleged insurgent camp in Balakot, Pakistan, following a Pakistan-linked attack in Pulwama that killed 40 Indian soldiers.
Previously, in 2016, Indian special forces conducted targeted strikes across the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in retaliation for an attack on an Indian Army camp that killed 19 soldiers.
The disputed territory, known for its idyllic landscapes, remains one of the most militarized regions in the world, with hundreds of thousands of troops deployed on both sides.
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