Pakistan to approach UN for Indus water

”The international law states that India cannot unilaterally separate itself from the treaty,” Aziz, Advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, said while briefing the National Assembly on the issue. He said unilateral revocation of the treaty can pose a threat to Pakistan and its economy. He said that if India violates the treaty Pakistan can approach the International Court of Justice. “This Indian act can be taken as breach of international peace and hence giving Pakistan a good reason to approach the UN Security Council,” Aziz said. He said Pakistan is considering to draw attention of the international community on the dangers of such an action if it is considered seriously. 

“Between the two countries, this act of revocation can be taken as an act of war,” he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday chaired a review meeting of 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty during which it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, as per the water sharing pact. The meeting came as India weighed its options to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead, triggering demands that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on that country. 

Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six rivers - Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - were to be shared between the two countries. Pakistan has been complaining about not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in a couple of cases.

The NIA on Tuesday took into custody the two men from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) arrested by Army in connection with its probe into the attack at an Army camp in Uri even as it established the identity of one of the four slain attackers as belonging to PoK.

The NIA took over the custody of the two men identified as Ahasan Kursheed alias DC, a resident of Khaliana Kalan and Faisal Hussain Awan, a resident of Pottha Jahangir—both in PoK, and would produce them before a designated court soon, official sources said. 

The two were arrested by the BSF and the Army in a joint operation at ‘Angoor Post’ at Gavalata village in Uri last Saturday when they were trying to infiltrate into India. With both being residents of PoK, the Army authorities interrogated them whether they had any knowledge about the attack in which four terrorists had stormed an Army camp at Uri on September 18 and killed 18 soldiers. The duo initially claimed that they had inadvertently crossed into India but after sustained interrogation they not only informed the security agencies about the two guides who had helped the terrorists to infiltrate but also helped them in identifying one of the militant involved in the attack, the sources said. One of the killed terrorist  was identified by NIA as Hafiz Ahmed of Darbang in Muzaffarabad Tehsil of PoK. 

The duo would be brought to the national capital where they would undergo scientific tests and also subjected to an interrogation by joint team of security agencies.  The two had been recruited  initially by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for guiding its militants to infiltrate across the line of control (LoC) and later they helped other Pakistan- based militant groups as well, the Army sources said.