Pakistan warns India: don't weaponise water
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has warned India against weaponising water, saying it could unleash consequences that echo for generations, as New Delhi threatens to halt the flow of Indus River waters amid rising tensions.
Speaking in an interview with Arab News, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry cautioned that any move by India to block Pakistan's water would cross a red line.
"It is some madman who can think that he can stop water of 240 million plus people of this country," he said.
"I hope that time doesn't come, but it will be such actions that the world will see and the consequences of that we will fight for years and decades to come. Nobody dare stop water of Pakistan."
The sharp remarks come in the wake of India's unilateral suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty last month, following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan — a claim Islamabad has categorically denied.
Since then, the region has once again been pushed to the brink. In early May, India launched a barrage of cross-border strikes, not only across the Line of Control (LoC) but also into Pakistan's mainland, claiming it was targeting militant hideouts.
Pakistan hit back, targeting 26 Indian military sites before a US-brokered ceasefire brought operations to a halt on May 10.
However, calm has remained fragile. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's declaration this week that India would cut off Indus waters flowing into Pakistan has reignited fears of escalation. For Islamabad, such a move is tantamount to an act of war.
Despite the ceasefire, the DG ISPR maintained that Pakistan remains committed to peace, but with eyes wide open.
"Pakistan armed forces are a professional armed forces and we adhere to the commitments that we make, and we follow in letter and spirit the instructions of the political government and the commitments that they hold," he said.
"As far as Pakistan Army is concerned, this ceasefire will hold easily and there have been confidence building measures in communication between both the sides," he added.
Since the truce, both nations have accused each other of ceasefire violations, a familiar back-and-forth that risks tipping the balance yet again. Chaudhry stressed that Pakistan's response has been proportionate and precise.
"If any violation occurs, our response is always there ... but it is only directed at those posts and those positions from where the violations of the ceasefire happen. We never target the civilians. We never target any civil infrastructure."
The DG ISPR revealed that India lost six aircraft, including French-built Rafales and a Mirage 2000, as well as a prized Russian-made S-400 air defence system, during the four-day exchange.
Earlier reports had put the number at five, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the sixth loss this week.
"I can confirm that the sixth aircraft is a Mirage 2000," Lt Gen Chaudhry said. "We only targeted the aircraft ... We could have taken out more, but we showed restraint," he noted.
Looking ahead, Chaudhry warned that the spectre of renewed conflict will continue to haunt the region unless the core issue - Kashmir - is addressed head-on.
"Their policy on Kashmir is not working," he stated. "Till the time Indians don't sit and talk about Kashmir, then (as) two countries we sit, and we find a solution to it, the conflict potential is there."
'Peace is our first priority'
Separately, in a firm riposte to regional misperceptions, the DG ISPR said that Pakistan is not a belligerent actor but a country that values peace above all.
"We are not a violent nation, we are a serious nation. Our first priority is peace," Lt Gen Chaudhry told RT Arabic in an interview, as reported by PTV News.
"Great and sensible powers like the United States understand better what the spirit of Pakistan's people is," he added.
Peeling back the layers of the ceasefire negotiations in the wake of Pakistan's retaliatory Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, Lt Gen Chaudhry revealed that the initial call for truce came from the Indian side.
According to him, the spokesperson for India's defence ministry had "personally requested a ceasefire".
"We desire peace and stability, so we said, why not?" he was quoted as saying by PTV News.
Acknowledging the diplomatic legwork behind the agreement, the military spokesperson lauded the role of Pakistani diplomats who rose to the occasion with "great wisdom and in an extraordinary manner".
"Pakistan, with great maturity, responded promptly, firmly and effectively, forcing the enemy to face reality," he asserted, referencing the downing of five Indian air jets in retaliation for India's deadly airstrikes during the night of May 6-7.
"The nation and the Pakistan armed forces stood united like an unbreakable wall," he said.
Recounting the tense events of May 9-10, Lt Gen Chaudhry described how the conflict neared a boiling point as both sides engaged in a show of strength. He stated that India fired more missiles overnight in a bid to intimidate Pakistan, but underestimated the nation's resolve.
"The enemy fired more missiles on the night of May 9 and 10 to scare us. India forgot that Pakistan's nation and its forces neither bow nor can be made to bow. On the morning of May 10, we responded, targeting only their military objectives with utmost responsibility and caution," he said.
"Not a single civilian target was harmed; it was an appropriate, just and balanced response," he emphasised.
'India rejected logical neutral probe'
Turning to the origins of the conflict, the DG ISPR stressed that understanding the full context of Pakistan-India tensions requires examining the broader backdrop.
"India is hiding behind a false narrative to conceal the truth," he said, referring to the Pahalgam incident. He pointed out that while Indian media began accusing Pakistan within minutes of the event, their own foreign office admitted two days later that investigations were still underway.
"Where is the wisdom in making allegations without investigation and evidence?" he questioned.
Lt Gen Chaudhry underlined that the Pakistani government had taken a principled stance by offering to cooperate with a neutral and impartial investigation, a proposal that was dismissed by New Delhi.
"India rejected this logical offer and, acting unilaterally, fired missiles at our mosques, martyring children, women, and elders," he said.
Affirming the military's unwavering commitment, the ISPR chief underscored that defending the nation's territorial integrity remains a sacred trust.
"The sacred responsibility entrusted to the Pakistan armed forces is to protect the country's sovereignty and borders," he stated, adding that the forces had fulfilled this duty and would "continue to do so at all costs".
The DG ISPR also reiterated longstanding concerns about India's alleged role in destabilising Pakistan through covert support for terrorism.
"India is the real sponsor of ongoing terrorism in Pakistan, whether it is the khawarij or terrorist groups active in Balochistan," he said, explicitly referencing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna Al Khawarij.