Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has once again made a controversial statement, stating that if the Indus Waters Treaty issue is not resolved, the ceasefire will hold no meaning.
In what comes as a significant development in the wake of India and Pakistan reaching a ceasefire understanding, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has stirred a fresh controversy in a CNN interview, warning that unresolved issues related to the Indus Waters Treaty could endanger the recently brokered ceasefire between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Dar alleged, “If India and Pakistan fail to resolve issues related to the Indus Waters Treaty, the ceasefire could be at risk. If unresolved, this will amount to an act of war.” His comments have been widely viewed in New Delhi as an attempt to shift focus away from Pakistan’s military losses and international embarrassment following India’s targeted air and ground operations.
The Pakistani minister’s remarks come just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed that “blood and water cannot flow together,” echoing the External Affairs Ministry’s earlier directive that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended, even though military operations have been paused.
The recent escalation began after a brutal terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam in April. India swiftly responded with Operation Sindoor, a high-precision military campaign targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to Indian defence sources, nine terrorist camps were destroyed, dealing a significant blow to terror outfits operating with impunity across the border.
Pakistan retaliated with airstrikes and claimed it had downed Indian aircraft, including advanced Rafale jets—an assertion India has not confirmed and which remains unverified. The conflict was eventually paused following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which Pakistan agreed to after sustaining heavy military and strategic losses.
Dar’s attempt to link the ceasefire to the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, is seen by analysts as part of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic posturing. While Pakistan accuses India of reducing water flow from the Chenab River, India maintains it is fully compliant with the treaty’s provisions and retains the sovereign right to manage its resources within legal limits.
PM Modi, during a visit to Adampur Airbase—falsely claimed by Pakistan to have been attacked—reiterated India’s commitment to national security. “India has only paused its counter-terror strikes. If provoked again, our response will be stronger. We will not tolerate nuclear blackmail or terror threats,” Modi said.
In his first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor, on Monday, PM Modi declared, “Operation Sindoor has marked a new chapter in the fight against terrorism — this is a new phase, a new normal. Any terror attack on India will be met with a jaw-breaking response. India will not tolerate nuclear blackmail in any form.”
He further asserted, “Terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. Terror and trade cannot coexist. And just as clearly, blood and water cannot flow together.”
With India holding a position of military and moral strength, upcoming talks will test Pakistan’s sincerity in seeking peace. For now, New Delhi’s firm response has redrawn the red lines in the region—terror will be met with power, and threats will not go unanswered.
