Islamabad: Pakistan’s PM Shahbaz Sharif on Friday rejected the “weapons of water” and warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by endangering the lives of millions for a narrow political benefit to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).Sharif was addressing a three -day international conference on the conservation of glaciers in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, when he provoked the issue.Sharif said, “India’s unilateral and illegal decisions to capture IWT, which operates the water sharing of the Indus basin, is deeply regretted.”“Millions of lives should not be held hostage for narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow it. We will never allow the red line to cross, “PM attended the conference by more than 2,500 representatives of 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations.The event was hosted by the Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, Asian Development Bank and other major partners. Sharif’s commentary came after India, soon after the terrorist attack in Pahgam on 22 April, IWT announced the IWT. The IWT was signed by the two countries in 1960 to address the water dispute between them and share the water of six main rivers of the Indus Basin.
