- India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail from Pakistan, said PM Modi
- He declared India does not agree to the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 with Pakistan
- The treaty was suspended after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered a clear message to Pakistan following a nuclear threat from the neighbouring country over India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. India won't tolerate nuclear blackmail, he said in his speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of 79th Independence Day, before declaring that the country does not agree to the water treaty.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 to set out a mechanism for sharing water in the Indus River system. It was put in abeyance in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocents. Water and blood cannot flow together, the Prime Minister reiterated today, as he opposed sharing the water that belongs to India with Pakistan.
"The Indus Water Treaty was an injustice to the people of India. The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our own farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers. A compromise on farmers' interests and national interests is not acceptable to us. Not anymore," he said.
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Islamabad, which opposed the decision to suspend the water treaty, recently urged New Delhi to resume the normal functioning of the treaty.
But its army chief, Asim Munir, who now holds the post of Field Marshal and is seen as the next de facto military ruler of Pakistan, went too far and threatened to destroy any infrastructure that India builds on the Indus Water channels, which could prevent water flow to Pakistan. Pakistan has no shortage of missiles, he had said while addressing an event during his latest US trip.
He also threatened to take down "half the world" if his country faced an existential threat in a future war with India.
The PM replied to the nuclear threat this morning, asserting that India can't be blackmailed anymore. He topped it with a warning for Pakistan. "India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail. If the enemy dares to commit any more misadventure, the Indian Armed Forces will give them a befitting reply. India has decided that blood and water will not flow together," said PM Modi.
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The April 22 attack in Pahalgam was followed by a mega military offense from India, named Operation Sindoor, which wiped out nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and eliminated over 100 terrorists. Praising the military operation, PM Modi said Pakistan's sleep continues to remain disturbed after witnessing the valour and precision of the Indian forces and large-scale destruction.
"What the Indian armed forces have done during Operation Sindoor was not seen in many years. We have set a new normal in dealing with cross-border terrorism, he said. I salute our brave soldiers who punished those behind the Pahalgam attack beyond their imagination," said the Prime Minister.
India does differentiate between terrorists and their supporters, he further asserted, in a warning to Pakistan that has long been accused of providing a safe haven to terrorists.
