Indian War Provocations

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 26^th 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 19^th 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.