DERA GHAZI KHAN: Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has termed India’s statement regarding the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as “childish, stupid and illegal”.

Talking to the media on Saturday, the minister said that Pakistan’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty was “clear and firm”. He said the treaty could only be revoked through mutual consent between Pakistan and India and could not be unilaterally suspended.

He said that Pakistan has an undeniable right over every single drop of water under the treaty. He further said that India’s baseless statement only damaged its credibility on the global stage, highlighting India’s involvement in terrorist activities across various countries, including Canada.

Pakistan would not allow even a single drop of water from its rivers to be diverted unlawfully, he said.

“No one can steal the water of our rivers,” he said, adding that international bodies are already engaged in the matter to ensure a fair resolution.

Speaking at the second convocation of Ghazi University in Dera Ghazi Khan, Mr Leghari said terrorism remained a national challenge and vowed that the government fully supported all efforts to eradicate it.

He said he supported a public Jirga recently held by Mir Badshah Qaisrani in support of law enforcement agencies, saying, “We endorse every measure taken in the defence of the country.”

The federal minister affirmed that Pakistan was fully capable of defending itself.

He also reiterated that the fight against terrorism would continue until its complete eradication, emphasising the unflinching resolve of the country’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies. However, he criticised former prime minister Imran Khan for allegedly allowing the return of 40,000 terrorists from Afghanistan, stating that Pakistan was still dealing with the consequences of that decision.

Meanwhile, a letter purported to be from India’s water resources ministry — circulating on social media — appeared to officially convey New Delhi’s wish to suspend implementation of the IWT.

Dawn could not immediately verify the authenticity of the letter, written by India’s Jal Shakti ministry secretary Ms Debashree Mukherjee to Pakistan’s ministry of water resources secretary Syed Ali Murtaza on April 24.

Neither the minister for water resources nor the Indus Water Commissioner responded to Dawn’s requests for confirmation and comment on the letter’s contents.

With input from Khalid Hasnain in Lahore, and the APP news agency

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2025