India threat to halt water from Kashmir would be “act of war”, Pakistan minister says | BBC News

Pakistan’s defence minister has told the BBC that India’s threat to halt the flow of water from Indian-administered Kashmir would be "an act of war".

Speaking to Azadeh Moshiri in Islamabad, Khawaja Muhammad Asif said: "It will be a declaration of war, you know, you are actually depriving us of water, which is our right, which was acknowledged by India, as it is written in that treaty. We want that treaty to stay alive."

It comes after India suspended a major treaty governing water sharing of six rivers in the Indus basin between the two countries, following Tuesday’s deadly attack in Kashmir in which 26 people died.

Mr Asif denied Pakistan was involved in the attack in Pahalgam.

The suspension of the water treaty is among several steps India has taken against Pakistan, accusing it of backing cross-border terrorism – a charge Islamabad flatly denies. It has also hit back with reciprocal measures against Delhi.

The treaty allocated the three eastern rivers – the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – of the Indus basin to India, while 80% of the three western ones – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – to Pakistan.

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