Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir Thursday said Islamabad would never compromise on the water issue as it's linked to the basic rights of 240 million people of the country.
In a desperate attempt to shift focus from Islamabad’s deep-rooted support for cross-border terrorism, Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday delivered a provocative and hostile tirade over the Indus Water Treaty. Munir warned of a “red line” on water, while conveniently ignoring Pakistan’s continued sheltering of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists.
In a brazen display of hostility, Munir declared, “Water is Pakistan's red line, and we will not allow any compromise on this basic right of 240 million Pakistanis."
He further asserted, “Pakistan will never accept Indian hegemony,” while shamelessly accusing India of backing militants in Balochistan—a claim India has consistently rejected.
His remarks come in the wake of India’s justified suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the brutal Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives.
No talks till Pakistan renounces terror, vacates PoK: India
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated the country’s uncompromising stance.
“We are clear that talks and terror don’t go together. On terrorism itself we are open to discussing the handing over to India of noted terrorists whose list was given to Pakistan some years ago.” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that any dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir will only be on Pakistan vacating illegally occupied Indian territory and that “the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures cross-border terrorism.”
The MEA stressed that India’s engagement with Pakistan must be strictly bilateral, leaving no room for third-party mediation. This comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, where India’s precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir targeted outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed responsible for terror attacks on Indian soil.
Pakistan's Terror Nexus Continues To Be Exposed
Contrasting starkly with Islamabad’s aggressive rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has recently attempted a diplomatic charm offensive in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran, even offering talks on Kashmir and water issues. However, these efforts ring hollow amid Pakistan’s ongoing sponsorship of terrorism, highlighted by a recent Lahore rally where Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including Talha Saeed and Muzammil Hashmi, openly threatened India with renewed attacks.
Jaiswal condemned Pakistan’s double game, quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Terror and talks cannot go together. Terror and trade cannot go together and water and blood cannot flow together.” India’s position is clear — peace cannot be brokered with a state that openly supports terror and aggression.
As long as Pakistan continues to shelter terror outfits like LeT while posturing over water rights, the world must ask: what is Islamabad’s real priority — peace or perpetual conflict?