Pakistan calls Modi's threat to divert water 'act of aggression'

Islamabad - Foreign office comments on Imran Khan's Saudi, Iran visit and Kashmir situation.

Pakistan on Thursday cautioned India to refrain from pursuing its designs of diverting the flow of three western rivers, saying the move would be considered an 'act of aggression and would be well responded'.
"Any attempt by India to divert the flow of these rivers will be considered an act of aggression and Pakistan has the right to respond," the Foreign Office spokesman said here at the weekly press briefing.
Also read: 'India will not allow water to flow to Pakistan'
Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal was responding to a media query on Pakistan's stance over a recent statement of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, claiming that his country would stop the water flowing to Pakistan and divert to the State of Haryana.
The spokesman said Pakistan had exclusive rights over the waters of three western rivers under the Indus Water Treaty and termed the statement an excuse to cover the ongoing blatant human rights situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
"After imposing a crashing curfew in Kashmir for more than two months, such statements coming from Indian leadership are another glaring example of the fact that the present government of India is bent upon making India an 'irresponsible and aggressive state' that has no regard for human rights or international obligations," he said.
The spokesman said the situation was not only a threat to regional peace and security, but could also result into strategic miscalculation.
To a question regarding the outcome of Prime Minister Imran Khan's visits to Saudi Arabia and Iran, the spokesman said he "offered to facilitate the two brotherly countries to help reduce tensions in the region and resolve differences of disputes through diplomatic and political means, which was welcomed by the both."
On Kartarpur Corridor, he said Pakistan had completed its side of construction work with all necessary arrangements, however said the date of opening was still under consideration.
Asked about follow-up of the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, the spokesman said Pakistan had already provided the consular access and the next steps, pertaining to logical and legal procedures, had been initiated.

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