ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday issued a stern warning to India over water rights amid ongoing disputes surrounding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), declaring that any attempt to disrupt Pakistan’s water supply would be met with a resolute response.
Speaking at a function to mark the International Youth Day, the prime minister declared emphatically that not a single drop of water would be taken from Pakistan.
“If you [India] threaten to cut off our water, remember this – you cannot take even a single drop from Pakistan,” he stated. “Should you dare to do so, we will teach you a lesson so severe that you will be left holding your ears in regret. Pakistan will never be harmed.”
Sharif also recounted the events of May, when he said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down six Indian aircraft, including four Rafale jets, during a four-day conflict, and lauded the military’s performance during what he described as a brief but intense confrontation.
“In those four days, our brave soldiers delivered a lesson to Indian that they will never forget,” he maintained.
Paying tribute to the sacrifices of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, Sharif emotionally referenced the resolve of soldiers’ families.
“These are the sons and soldiers of our Armed Forces, whose mothers prayed for them at the battlefield – ‘Go and raise the flag of Pakistan high, defend our borders, and if necessary, lay down your lives. Do not return home unless victorious.’”
The prime minister’s remarks also coincided with National Minorities Day, observed a day earlier, where he honoured religious minorities for their vital contributions across sectors such as health, education, and defence.
“Our Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other minority citizens have played an indispensable role, not only in the creation of Pakistan but in building the nation as it stands today,” he affirmed. “Their service across every field is nothing short of remarkable.”
Speaking ahead of Independence Day on 14 August, Sharif invoked the memory of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation, framing the present as a moment for national renewal and youth-led reconstruction.
“A new Pakistan is emerging,” he said, reiterating military’s successes especially in the May’s skirmishes between the two arch rival countries.
While acknowledging India’s numerical and resource superiority, Sharif struck a defiant tone. “India is five times our size and once took pride in its military might,” he asserted. “That pride was shattered on 10 May.”
The prime minister also unveiled a national initiative to provide laptops to students on interest-free instalments under a revived “Laptop for All” scheme.
He pledged the distribution of 100,000 laptops across Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and other provinces would be strictly merit-based.
“There will be no political favouritism, no recommendations,” he said. “This was my policy in Punjab, and it remains so today. Only merit will build a stronger Pakistan.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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