Pakistan Army spokesman parrots LeT terrorist Hafiz Saeed's
Pakistan Army spokesman parrots LeT terrorist Hafiz Saeed's comment to warn India over latter's abeyance of Indus waters treaty
Pakistani military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has issued a warning to India similar to that used by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Hafiz Saeed
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif
Chaudhry has issued a warning to India similar to that used by Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT) terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
He was speaking at a public gathering over India's
decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance till Islamabad abjures
terrorism and stop aiding, funding and supporting terrorist groups emanating
from its soil.
Chaudhry reportedly made the comments during a speech at
a university in Pakistan.
Referring to India's recent move to suspend the
water-sharing treaty following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's
Pahalgam, he said, "If you block our water, we will choke your
breath."
His statement mirrors the hostile rhetoric used by LeT
founder Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, known
for his inflammatory speeches against India and the US.
In a video, making rounds on social media X, Hafiz Saeed
can be heard saying those same words.
The statements come as India suspended parts of the Indus
Waters Treaty on April 23, a day after the terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26
people.
The treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World
Bank, governs the sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries between the
two countries.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly said "blood and
water cannot flow together; talk and terror cannot go together,"
signalling a tougher stance on Pakistan's alleged support for cross-border
terrorism.
Suspension was a part of countermeasures taken against
Islamabad, including "Operation Sindoor" on May 7 that targeted nine
terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday
declared that any future dialogue with Pakistan will focus solely on the
vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated firmly that
"terror and talks can't coexist," highlighting that India remains
open only to discussions on the extradition of wanted terrorists already listed
and shared with Islamabad.
Clarifying India’s stance on the Kashmir issue, Jaiswal
underlined, "Any bilateral discussion will only be on the vacation of
illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan."
Speaking on the suspended Indus Waters Treaty (IWT),
Jaiswal confirmed that the agreement will remain in abeyance until Pakistan
takes credible and irreversible steps to stop supporting terrorism.
He echoed Prime Minister Modi’s statement: "Water
and blood cannot flow together," indicating a hardening of India’s
position on the historic water-sharing agreement.
In a related development, two staff members of the
Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were declared ‘persona non grata’ for
activities deemed inconsistent with their official status.
“One has already left India, and the other was given 24
hours to do so,” Jaiswal said, underscoring the seriousness of their
misconduct.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
addressed a public rally in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, where he delivered a stern
warning to Islamabad.
He said Pakistan would have to “struggle for every penny”
if it continued to support terror, and that it would not get India’s rightful
share of water under the current treaty terms.
“Playing with the blood of Indians will now cost Pakistan
heavily," PM Modi added.
