Indus Waters Treaty: No one country can unilaterally separate itself from the pact, says Nawaz Sharif

Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said the Indus Water Treaty was a mutually agreed arrangement between India and Pakistan brokered by the World Bank and no one country can unilaterally separate itself from the treaty. Sharif made the remarks at a high-level meeting here wherein he asserted that Pakistan was fully capable of meeting any internal or external security threat. “The meeting expressed deep concern on the increase in systematic human rights violations in Kashmir and strongly condemned brutal use of force by Indian security forces,” according to statement issued after the meeting. Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said that the Indus Water Treaty was mutually agreed arrangement between India and Pakistan brokered by the World Bank in 1960 and no one country can unilaterally separate itself from the treaty. [caption id=“attachment_3018792” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nawaz Sharif. AP[/caption] On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with officials to review provisions of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan. In that meeting it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, as per the water-sharing pact. Pakistan next day approached the World Bank, with senior its officials taking up the matter with the international lender which had mediated the water-sharing deal. Sharif said the violence on Kashmiris for their right to self-determination, promised by UN resolutions, will never be tolerated and the “oppressed Kashmiris deserve not only Pakistan’s support but also the support of the entire world”. He said that Pakistan will continue to extend its moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris until the issue of Kashmir is resolved as per aspirations of Kashmiri people. Sharif said that the world is a witness that Pakistan has given tremendous sacrifices for global peace. He said Pakistan has shown unequalled and unprecedented restraint despite great provocation. He said that Pakistan will continue to struggle for a peaceful South Asia with a view to enable its people to achieve progress and prosperity of the 21st century. The meeting also reviewed other matters pertaining to national and regional security and expressed satisfaction over the preparedness of the armed forces to defend the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Federal Ministers Nisar Ali and Ishaq Dar, army chief General Raheel Sharif, National Security Advisor Nasser Janjua, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, Director General Military Operations and senior civil and military officials attended the meeting.