India’s water blockade would have long-lasting impact, warns DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military has issued a stern warning to India, saying that if India tries to stop Pakistan’s water supply, the consequences of Pakistan’s response will have to be borne for decades.

In an exclusive interview with the British media, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stressed that Pakistan will not tolerate any such action and will take immediate and strong measures if necessary.

General Chaudhry said that no one should dare to stop Pakistan’s water, if India stops our water, the consequences of our response will be felt for years, if not decades, the Pakistani government has already made it clear to India and we need not comment on it further.

He added that “stopping water for over 240 million people is something that only a madman would think of, and India cannot afford to do so. We hope that such a situation never arises, but if it does, the world will see the impact of our actions.”

In his interview, General Chaudhry also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to uphold the existing ceasefire with India. He said, “We fully respect our commitments and follow the instructions of the political leadership, if the ceasefire is violated, our response will always be immediate and will only target the places from where the violations occurred”.

Regarding the downing of the Indian aircraft, General Chaudhry confirmed that the aircraft was an Indian Mirage 2000 fighter jet. He added that “we specifically targeted the aircraft, and while we had the ability to take further action, we exercised restraint.” He also assured that despite the attacks, all Pakistan’s air bases are fully operational, with the air force equipped for a quick response.

General Chaudhry also took the opportunity to criticize India’s behavior regarding the Kashmir issue, especially the steps taken to internally affect the status of the region. “India’s policies in Kashmir, including coercion and attempts to internalize the region, have failed. As long as India refuses to engage in dialogue, the two countries will never resolve the issue. The risk of escalating the conflict is always present.”