Tensions between India and Pakistan over the sharing of Indus river water have taken on a new dimension. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Pakistan will not hesitate to take military steps if the country’s water security comes under threat.
In a recent interview with the television channel ARY News, he described the water issue as directly linked to national security. If there were a fear that Pakistan’s rights over the water of the Indus basin were being undermined, he said, Islamabad would respond as necessary. He said that going to war against India would also be under consideration if national security appeared to be in danger.
The comment comes against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between the two countries over the Indus waters treaty. A few days ago, India’s water power minister, C R Patil, hinted in a statement that it might be possible to significantly limit the flow of Indus river water toward Pakistan by 2028. His remarks sparked wide discussion on social media.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated mainly after a deadly attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. After 26 people were killed in that incident, India blamed Pakistan-backed militants and announced the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. India says the treaty will not be reinstated until effective steps are taken against cross-border terrorism.
Under the treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank, a large share of the water of the Indus river system is allocated to Pakistan. The water is therefore vital for the country’s agriculture, irrigation system and overall economy.
Pakistan has been opposing India’s decision. Islamabad says any obstruction to the water flow would have a serious impact on the lives and livelihoods of the tens of millions of people who depend on the river. The water issue has become one of the main causes of diplomatic and security tension between the two neighbours.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report