Ishaq Dar warns ceasefire at risk if India doesn't restore IWT

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar warned that India's failure to restore the Indus Water Treaty, unilaterally abrogated by them, would jeopardise the ceasefire and be considered an 'act of war.'

The IWT, which was signed by both nations in 1960 under the supervision of the World Bank, was unilaterally revoked by India after accusing Pakistan of the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, which left 26 tourists killed, including an Indian naval officer.

The Indian authorities decided to end diplomatic ties, suspend trade and visas for Pakistani visitors, and also abrogate the IWT.

Read: Experts urge US mediation to restore IWT following fragile ceasefire

After severing diplomatic ties, India began a military offensive, which intensified the escalation by launching a military assault against Pakistan on May 6-7. In response Pakistan shot down six Indian jets, including three Rafales and other Russian jets. 

Pakistan’s retaliatory attacks on May 10 devastated India’s defence infrastructure, after which the Modi government requested the US to mediate a ceasefire. 

In an interview with the US-based media outlet CNN, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier, Ishaq Dar, said that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared with him a message from India, seeking a ceasefire agreement after Pakistan’s retaliatory action through the launch of operation “Bunyanum Marsoos” in response to India’s cowardly escalation on May 10.

“I had a call after Secretary Rubio talked to Mr Jaishankar, it was around past 8:00 am on May 10, at the time our operation was almost over, and he said India is ready to stop it now,” Dar said.

Read: PM Shehbaz calls for dialogue with India on Kashmir issue, IWT

He said Secretary Rubio asked him, “Would you be willing? I said, of course.”

“I said we give you our words, if India does not restart, we won’t do it.”

Regarding the unilateral abrogation of the IWT, Deputy Premier Dar said, “The national security committee of Pakistan declared that if this treaty is tampered, if the water is diverted, if the water is stopped, we will treat it as an act of war.”

Dar said, “We want to take the whole process forward in an honourable way with dignity for both sides, and resolve through composite dialogues, the issue which will be here in the long term is the region's peace and stability.”