Pakistan's intensions revealed, same narrative as Hafiz Saeed: In furry due to Indus Water Treaty

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): The Pakistani army has once again proved that it speaks the language of terrorists. Military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, just like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Hafiz Saeed, has spewed venom against India over the Indus Water Treaty. In a public meeting, Chaudhary warned about the decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and said, "If you stop our water, we will stop your breath." This style and words are exactly like what Hafiz Saeed had recently spoken.

Sharif Chaudhry was speaking on India's decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty suspended until then. In fact, India has already said that the Indus Water Treaty will remain suspended until Islamabad ends terrorism and stops aiding, funding and supporting terrorist groups originating from its soil. Chaudhry reportedly made the remarks during a speech at a university in Pakistan. His statement closely resembles the rhetoric used by Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He is known for his provocative speeches against India and the US.

Hafiz Saeed can be heard saying these words in a video going viral on social media. These statements have come at a time when India suspended parts of the Indus Water Treaty on April 23. This treaty was signed a day after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were brutally killed.

Signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, the treaty governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus river and its tributaries between the two countries. Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly said that "blood and water cannot flow together; dialogue and terror cannot go together," indicating a tough stand on Pakistan's alleged support for cross-border terrorism.

The suspension was part of a slew of retaliatory measures taken against Islamabad, including "Operation Sindoor" on May 7 in which nine terror hideouts were targeted in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India's foreign ministry on Thursday announced that any future talks with Pakistan will focus only on vacating the illegally occupied Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal firmly stated that “terrorism and dialogue cannot go together,” highlighting that India is only willing to discuss the extradition of wanted terrorists who have already been listed and shared with Islamabad.

Clarifying India's stand on the Kashmir issue, Jaiswal underlined, "Any bilateral discussion will only take place on vacating the Indian territory illegally occupied by Pakistan." On the suspended Indus Water Treaty (IWT), Jaiswal affirmed that the agreement will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to stop supporting terrorism. He reiterated Prime Minister Modi's statement: "Water and blood cannot flow together," indicating a hardening of India's position on the historic water-treaty.