Sarah Khan
Indian belligerence
against Pakistan is at peak these days. Indian Prime Minster Modi and his
extremist team are raising slogans to “isolate Pakistan”, declare “Pakistan
a terror sponsor state”, and impose “sanctions on Pakistan”. Failing
to achieve any of the above mentioned malicious agendas, New Delhi has decided
to suspend commission talks on “Indus Water Treaty”, a water-distribution agreement between India
and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank and signed in Karachi on September 19,
1960 by President Ayub Khan and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
India is constructing
Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants that violate the design parameters
of the treaty. The differences on the designs of the two plants
could not be resolved in various meetings of the Permanent Commission for Indus
Waters, comprising one commissioner from each country, which is responsible for
the implementation of the treaty. Secretary-level talks were then held between
governments of India and Pakistan on July 14 and 15 this year. After the
failure of secretary-level talks, on Aug 19, Pakistan initiated formal dispute
settlement proceedings under the treaty.
While following its
international obligations as per treaty, Pakistan referred the matters to the
Court of Arbitration as provided in Article IX of the treaty. Pakistan also
reminded the World Bank that the treaty gives the bank an important role in
establishing a court of arbitration by facilitating the process of appointment
of three judges, called Umpires, to the Court. On the other hand, India
followed its flawed track of international obligations and its media reported
on 26th September that India has decided to suspend
Indus Water Commission talks until “Pakistan-sponsored terror” in India ends.
Indian Ministry of
External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup has issued a statement that ‘India will
not participate in upcoming 19th SAARC Summit to be
held in November this year’. In addition to this, India has rejected Pakistan’s
proposal to resolve the Kashmir issue amicably.
Adviser to the Prime
Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz stated that “The Indus Waters Treaty is
quoted as perhaps the most successful water treaty ever conducted between the
two countries. Its revocation can be taken as an act of war or a hostile act
against Pakistan.” If India tries to interrupt water flow into Pakistan, it
will not only violate the Indus Water Treaty, but also set a regional state
practice under which international law can be violated. India had also been
constructing dams on the Kabul river in collaboration with the Afghan
government in order to make Pakistan's land barren.
Time and again
alleging Pakistan for Indian tailored terrorism against its own forces,
unabated use of force against innocent Kashmiris, rejecting proposals of
bilateral peace talks, boycott of regional cooperation forum and now suspension
of international treaty which survived two wars is nothing but literal acts of
belligerence against Pakistan which is raising the prospects of regional
instability.
Though Modi and his
team tried to create hue and cry over Uri attack in UNGA, but US was not
convinced by India’s evidence against Pakistan. US officials conveyed India to
resolve bilateral issues through diplomacy. Despite its failure to prove
allegations against Pakistan, Modi’s madness remains intact as he has revoked
an international treaty. He is playing a costly gamble as he is known for his
huge appetite for risk. Such reckless action could easily spiral out of control
and turn into a full-blown military confrontation. The underlying calculation
of Modi’s escalation is that India can afford this brinkmanship given the
country’s growing global influence. But it is hard to believe that the
international community has the same appetite for conflagration in one of the
world’s most combustible regions. It is high time for US/ UN to warn India over
its war provocations because the risk of miscalculation among two nuclear
neighbors is increasing and temperature is rising.
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