‘Will strike’ any structure they build: Pak defence minister's threat to India over Indus Waters Treaty

In a fresh threat to India amid the rising tensions over Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif warned on Friday that Islamabad would strike if New Delhi built any structure on the Indus River and violated the Indus Waters Treaty.

In a TV interview with Geo News, Khawaja Asif said that building any structure on the Indus River would be seen as 'Indian aggression'.

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India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty as part of its response against Pakistan in the aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people dead, most tourists.

‘Pakistan will destroy that structure’

The Pakistani defence minister said, "Certainly, if they attempt to build any structure, we will strike it. Aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets; it has many faces. One of those faces is (blocking or diverting water), which could lead to deaths due to hunger and thirst."

Asif reiterated, "If they make any architectural attempt, then Pakistan will destroy that structure."

However, Asif said that for now, Pakistan is heading to the available forums, starting from the Indus Waters Treaty. "We will pursue this matter," he added.

Further, Khawaja Asif opined that it would not be easy for India to violate the treaty and said that Pakistan would approach the concerned stakeholders.

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The Pakistani defence minister also reportedly slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "staging the drama" for political gains. He accused India of 'continuously inciting' and said that Islamabad "will take only retaliatory action".

This is the second time that Khawaja Asif has tried to threaten India for its moves against Pakistan in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Last week, he had warned that India's moves could lead to an "all-out war" between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. He had reportedly said that the world should be "worried" about the prospect of a full-blown conflict between the two nations.

Asif claimed that Pakistan was "prepared for any eventuality" amid the escalating tensions with India. “We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India. It would be a measured response… If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war," he had said.

Earlier this week, the Indian government also blocked the X account of Khawaja Asif amid the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

ALSO READ | Pakistan claims ‘credible’ proof of Indian military strike in next 24-36 hours

Pakistan's information minister Attatullah Tarar on Wednesday had claimed to have "credible evidence" of an Indian military strike in Islamabad within the next 24-36 hours.

“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident,” Tarar said in a post on X on April 30.

He had defended Pakistan as having been a victim of terrorism itself, saying that the nation has condemned all forms of such violence.