Baglihar Dam in the delinquent river area of Jammu region, northern India. Photo by Hindustan Times website capture
India has blocked the flow of a tributary of the Indus River that runs into Pakistan. Tensions are escalating between India and Pakistan as their confrontation intensifies following a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
On May 5 (local time), local media outlets such as Hindustan Times and India Today, citing PTI news agency, reported that Indian authorities had blocked the flow of water to Pakistan at the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in the Jammu region. Sources also said that India is planning similar measures at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River in northern Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan relies on the Indus River, including these tributaries, for drinking water and agricultural irrigation. If the water is completely cut off, it would deal a severe blow to Pakistan. After a recent shooting attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, Indian authorities announced the immediate suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. In response, Pakistan warned that any attempt to block water flowing into its territory would be considered an act of war and that it would respond comprehensively.
India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960, under World Bank mediation, to prevent India from blocking the flow of Indus River tributaries into Pakistan. The water blockade is expected to further intensify the conflict between the two countries.
Regarding this, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, Pakistan's ambassador to Russia, said in an interview with Russian state broadcaster RT on May 3, "Any attempt to deprive, block, or divert water from the lower reaches of the (Indus River) will be considered an act of war against Pakistan," adding, "We will respond with all our capabilities."
He also mentioned, "Pakistan will use all its capabilities, including conventional and nuclear power," raising the threat of a nuclear response, according to Indian media outlet NDTV.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan's Minister of Defence, also warned that Pakistan would destroy any new structures India builds on the Indus River. In an interview with local media Geo News on May 2, Minister Asif stated that any construction by India on the Indus River would be regarded as an act of aggression against Pakistan, saying, "We will attack it."
He added, "An act of aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets," emphasizing that blocking or diverting the Indus River could "lead to deaths from hunger and thirst."
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