Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned India against any designs on the Indus River, saying that it could not snatch “even one drop” of water belonging to Pakistan amid tensions over the share of hydel resources in the region.

India in April held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

A supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in June held that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. India, in response, said it did not recognise the court or its decisions. A day ago, the PCA issued an “Award on Issues of General Interpretation of the IWT” in the Indus Waters case, stating that India must generally “let flow” the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use”.

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad today, the prime minister said: “I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind that you cannot snatch even one drop from Pakistan.”

The prime minister warned that if India attempted such an act, “you will be again taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears.”

“Our air force shot down six of their jets, among which four of them were Rafales,” PM Shehbaz added.

The prime minister’s warning comes a day after former foreign minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari termed the IWT’s suspension an attack on the Indus Valley civilisation and said the nation would not back down if New Delhi forced it into war.

“If war is waged, then from the land of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai we will send a message to the Modi government that we do not retreat, we do not bow down, and if you dare think about launching an attack on the Indus River, then the people of every province of Pakistan will be ready to confront you,” he had said.

Similarly, while on a weekend visit to the United States, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had reportedly warned that Pakistan would never allow India to choke the Indus River and would defend its water rights at all costs, even if the forces would have to destroy any controversial dam that India sought to build on it.

“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,” he reportedly told members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida. “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river.”

Lauds role of minorities, announces laptop scheme

The prime minister also conveyed his wishes for Independence Day to the representatives of the Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Parsi communities present at the event.

“The brothers and sisters of the minority communities also played an integral role in the movement for Pakistan,” he said, adding that not only did they play a role in the founding of the country, but also played a role in its development of the country.

Speaking on the May conflict between Pakistan and India, the prime minister said: “The way we smashed the enemy in this conflict, they will remember it for a lifetime.”

He called upon the youth to play a role in the development of Pakistan and announced that 100,000 laptops would be distributed amongst the high achievers all over the country.