Pakistan: Any attempt by India in Indus basin will be an act of war

Pakistan has declared that any attempt by India to stop or divert the flow of water in the Indus Basin, which legally belongs to Pakistan, will be considered an "act of war".

In a statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the decisions taken at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting held under the leadership of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir were included.

Rejecting India's unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, the statement said the treaty was important for regional stability and underlined Pakistan's determination to protect its water rights.

In accordance with the Indus Waters Treaty, any attempt to change the flow of water in rivers that are legally recognized as belonging to Pakistan will not be accepted, the statement said, "Blocking or diverting the flow of water owned by Pakistan will be considered a declaration of war."

The statement emphasized that India's diplomatic staff in Islamabad was limited to a maximum quota of 30 people as of April 30 and Pakistan's airspace was closed to all flights owned or operated by India.

All trade with India has also been suspended and the Wagah Border Crossing between the two countries will be closed immediately.

The statement also said it has the right to suspend all bilateral agreements with India, not just the Shimla Agreement.

Pakistan: We suspect terror attack in Jammu Kashmir was a "false flag operation"

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said they suspect that the terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir was a "false flag operation".

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Asif commented on the recent tensions between his country and India.

"We strongly suspect that this was a false flag operation," Minister Asif said, suggesting that the terror attack in Jammu Kashmir was carefully organized.

Asif strongly rejected the Indian authorities' claim that Pakistan was linked to the attack, stressing that his country has no links with armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Defense Minister Asif says India is planning "acts of terrorism" against his country

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that they have information that India is planning "terrorist acts" in various parts of the country.

According to Al Jazeera, Pakistani Defense Minister Asif spoke about the tension with India at a press conference in the capital Islamabad.

Stating that he had information that India was planning "terrorist acts" in various parts of the country, Asif said that if India carried out these acts, it would be responded in the same way and "the price would be paid".

Asif also said, "India is fighting a low-intensity war against us and we are ready if they increase the scale. We will not bow to any international pressure to protect our territory."

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar said that a notification would be sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Pakistan says ready to counter India's attempts to escalate tensions

In a post on the X social media account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, the statements of Foreign Ministry Secretary Amna Baloch were included.

Speaking after a meeting of the National Security Committee in the capital Islamabad, Baloch said India was waging a "misinformation campaign" against Pakistan.

Stating that such attempts will disrupt peace and stability in the region, Baloch underlined that Pakistan is against all forms of terrorism.

Baloch said India "stands ready to counter any malicious attempt" to escalate tensions.

India cancels all visa services for Pakistani citizens

On the other hand, in a statement on the website of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, it was stated that visa services for Pakistani citizens were suspended following the Pahalgam attack.

In the statement, it was reported that existing visas issued to Pakistani citizens were canceled effective April 27, while visas for medical purposes will be valid until April 29.

The statement warned Indian citizens to avoid traveling to Pakistan and advised citizens already in Pakistan to return home as soon as possible.

UN calls for restraint

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric answered journalists' questions at his daily press conference.

Asked whether UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has had direct communication with the parties, Dujarric said, "The Secretary-General has not had direct communication, but he is following the situation closely and with deep concern."

"We call on both Pakistan and India to exercise maximum restraint," Dujarric said, condemning the terrorist attack that killed many civilians.

Noting that the parties should avoid steps that could worsen the situation, Dujarric underlined that all problems should be resolved peacefully through bilateral engagement.

Pahalgam terror attack

In the Pahalgam region of Indian-administered Jammu Kashmir, 26 people were killed and many others injured when gunmen opened fire on tourists on April 22.

Following the terrorist attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interrupted his official visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi. Immediately after his arrival in the capital, Modi convened a security meeting with the participation of senior officials to assess the situation.

According to national media reports, the Resistance Front (TRF), an extension of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LET) organization in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, asked Pakistani undersecretaries in New Delhi to leave the country within a week and canceled visas for all Pakistani citizens.

Details of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan back on the agenda

Following India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) signed with Pakistan in 1960, the details of the agreement came back to the agenda.

On April 22, 26 people were killed and many others injured in a terrorist attack by gunmen in the Pahalgam region of Indian-administered Jammu Kashmir.

After the terrorist attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interrupted his official visit to Saudi Arabia, returned to the capital New Delhi and met with his cabinet.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting led by Prime Minister Modi discussed efforts to uncover cross-border links to the terrorist attack and new measures.

In line with the new measures, the IWT signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 under the guarantee of the World Bank was suspended.

AA correspondent compiled the status of the Indus River and the details of the agreement, which will celebrate its 65th anniversary this year.

Originating in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the Indus River flows in a northwesterly direction through India's Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir regions, then through Pakistan's Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab and Sindh provinces before flowing into the Arabian Sea near Karachi.

Forty-seven percent of the river system is divided by Pakistan and 37 percent by India, with the remaining small portions located in eastern Afghanistan and China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Indus is one of the largest rivers in the world with an average annual flow of 208 billion cubic meters, about 2.2 times the combined capacity of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The Indus River system provides water for 90 percent of Pakistan's food production and contributes 25 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Guarantor, World Bank

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between Pakistan and India in September 1960 with the World Bank as guarantor. After nearly 10 years of mediation by the World Bank, the agreement was signed by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's former President General Ayub Khan.

The agreement, which sets out the rights and obligations of the two countries regarding the use of the waters of the Indus River system, divides the six rivers east and west of the Indus Basin between the two countries.

According to the agreement, of the six rivers feeding the Indus River, the control of the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej was given to India, while the control of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was given to Pakistan. Since the rivers given to India fed the Indus more, Pakistan was granted rights over these rivers. The agreement also included a clause that India had rights to power generation, agriculture and fisheries.

Latest status of the disputes

The bilateral "Permanent Indus Commission", composed of representatives from India and Pakistan, provides a mechanism for possible new cooperation or for resolving potential conflicts.

According to this mechanism, the two sides are supposed to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, there are disagreements between the two sides centered on the Indus Waters Treaty.

The designs of India's Ratle and Kishanganga hydropower projects on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers are argued to violate IWT regulations.

Islamabad argues that the planned hydropower plants will cut off the flow of agricultural water, while India insists that its projects comply with the terms of the agreement.

Pakistan took the matter to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration to resolve the issue, but India rejected the jurisdiction of the arbitration court.

New Delhi formally requested a review and amendment of the agreement last year, but Islamabad says it is committed to its full implementation.

Dam projects

Pakistan had last complained to the World Bank in 2019 over dam projects blocking the flow of water from India, which has to share some of the water flowing through the three rivers with it. Meetings between the World Bank, the guarantor of the agreement, and officials from both countries in Washington in May 2020 ended without a decision.

Despite this regulation, India inaugurated the Kishanganga Dam in 2018 with a ceremony attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. The Ratle Dam is also scheduled to open in 2026. India argues that the dam projects are in line with the agreement.

It is stated that there is a risk of water shortage or flooding in Pakistan due to the dams built by India. It is stated that 20 percent of Pakistan's economy depends on activities around the Indus River.