Can approach ICJ if you violate Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan tells India
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday warned that it can approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ), if India ‘violates’ the Indus Water Treaty.
Pakistan Prime Minister’s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that according to international law, India cannot unilaterally separate itself from the treaty.
According to reports in Pakistani media, Aziz chose to point out further that the treaty was not suspended even during the Siachen and Kargil wars.
In a stern message to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said, ‘blood and water cannot flow together,’ during his meeting on India Water Treaty in the national capital.
Despite the Prime Minister’s hard-hitting statement, sources in the Water Ministry have said that India will not scrap the water treaty with Pakistan, amidst heightened tension between the two countries in the wake of the recent Uri attack which was carried out by Pak-based militants. However, India has decided to use it “fullest legal rights in the treaty” and will make greater use of waters that are crucial to Pakistan.
Government sources said India will exploit to the maximum the capacity of Pak-
controlled rivers -- Indus, Chenab, Jhelum as per the Indus Treaty. Sources also said that India may take further action, depending on Pakistan's response.
Apart from deciding to exploit to the maximum the capacity of three of the rivers that are under Pakistan's control in the areas of hydro power, irrigation and storage, the meeting also agreed to review the "unilateral suspension" of Tulbul navigation project in 1987.
Modi had chaired the meeting to review the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, which was attended by top officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials.
The review was undertaken as India weighs options to give a befitting response to Pakistan in the wake of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead.
