The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly criticized Pakistan for “reckless, war-mongering and hateful” statements by its leadership against India on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Islamabad repeatedly uses anti-India rhetoric to divert attention from its own failures.
“We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering, and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India. It is a well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures," Jaiswal said, as quoted by ANI.
He further warned Pakistan to moderate its statements. Any misadventure, he said, will have painful consequences.
Response on Indus Waters Treaty
Jaiswal also responded to questions on the Court of Arbitration’s award under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). He stressed that India never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration.
“Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India’s rights of utilisation of waters. India also categorically rejects Pakistan’s selective and misleading references to the so-called ‘award’. The Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India," he said.
The MEA’s statement followed threats from Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, over India keeping the IWT in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan’s Threats Against India
On Tuesday in Islamabad, Sharif said, “I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind — you cannot snatch even one drop of Pakistan."
He warned, “If India tries, you will again be taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears."
Earlier, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari described India’s suspension of the IWT as an attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation. He warned Pakistan would not back down if pushed toward war.
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir also issued threats. He reportedly said that Islamabad would destroy any dam if India stopped water flow. “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,” Dawn quoted him.
Munir further warned in Florida that Pakistan could plunge the region into nuclear war and potentially harm “almost half of the world” if faced with an existential threat from India. He frequently blamed India for regional tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Background: Cross-Border Hostilities
Following the Pahalgam attack, India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan. New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, reduced the strength of Pakistan’s mission in India, and expelled its military attaches.
India also launched Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan. Over four days, New Delhi struck air bases, inflicted heavy damage on the Pakistan Army, and successfully repelled missile and drone attacks.