Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘red line’ warning in Indus waters row, Omar Abdullah replies

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has again warned India against violating the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, calling Pakistani water a "red line" and stating that Islamabad would respond directly if its water supplies were threatened. Sharif, speaking during the inauguration of Yadgar-e-Fatah in Islamabad, emphasized Pakistan's desire for peace and stability, but made it clear that its preference for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness. He threatened a direct response if India continued to violate the treaty.

India announced on April 23, 2025, that it was suspending the treaty, citing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed and Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his displeasure, stating that India's unilateral and illegal suspension of the treaty proved it to be an enemy of peace.

Responding to Sharif's remarks, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the Pakistani leader for claiming that water is a "red line" while dismissing the treaty's benefits to the region. Abdullah argued that the treaty had limited the sharing of water resources, hindering the utilization of the Chenab river for drinking water, barrage construction at Tulbul, and large dam projects. He pointed out that three of the six rivers belong to India, leaving Pakistan to suffer the consequences of the treaty.