Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif warns any diversion of Indus waters will be 'treated as act of war' during UNGA address

New York [US], September 25 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday (local time) said any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan's share of the waters of the Indus River system would be treated as an "act of war", while addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Sharif said the shared waters of the Indus River system were the "lifeblood" not only for Pakistan but for the entire region, and alleged that India's decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance had "no legal basis whatsoever". "The shared waters of the Indus River system are the lifeblood not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the entire region. India's unilateral decision to hold the existing treaty in abeyance has no legal basis whatsoever," Sharif said. He further claimed that India's position and actions regarding the treaty had been rejected by UN experts and the Court of Arbitration. "In fact, both its claims and actions have been rejected by UN experts and, more recently, by the Court of Arbitration. Our legitimate stand that the treaty remains valid, binding and fully operative has been vindicated beyond any ray of doubt," he said. "Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them. Therefore, any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan's share of the waters will be treated as an act of war. India must make no mistake about it," Sharif added. The Indus Waters Treaty, a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan, was signed on September 19, 1960, concerning the utilisation of waters of the Indus system rivers. The treaty governs the sharing of river waters between the two countries. It was placed in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack, marking a significant development in India-Pakistan water-sharing arrangements. (ANI)