India cannot stop water from flowing into Pakistan: commission

LAHORE: Pakistani officials of the Permanent Commission for Indus Waters said on Monday that India cannot stop the flow of water into Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty.

Officials of the commission commented on India’s move to stop water of three eastern rivers from flowing into Pakistan. They said, “New Delhi has continuously been involved in water aggression.”

“The Ministry of Water and Power is reviewing India’s measure to stop water from flowing into Pakistan. As per the Indus Water Treaty, India cannot stop water from flowing into Pakistan and if they do so then we will move the International Court for Arbitration,” the officials said in a statement.

“India’s Indus Water Commission did not apprise Pakistan regarding the move to stop the flow of water,” the officials continued.

It will take India several years to change the direction of the water to keep it from flowing into Pakistan, they further stated.

On Sunday, Indian Union Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Mehghwal said India has stopped water of three eastern rivers from flowing into Pakistan. Speaking to the media, Meghwal said that 0.53 million acre-feet of water from eastern rivers, which was flowing into Pakistan, has been stopped. This water has been stored and could be used for drinking and irrigation purposes, the Indian minister of state for water resources said.

The Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960, gives India control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) of the Indus basin while it gives Pakistan authority over the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab). The treaty also guaranteed ten years of uninterrupted water supply, during this period Pakistan was to build dams. Pakistan successfully built Warsak, Mangla and Tarbela dams.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama attack in which over 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers were killed. India blamed Pakistan for the attack without any evidence and violated Pakistan’s airspace a few days later.