Water and blood can’t flow together, says Modi in veiled threat to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: In what appeared to be a veiled threat to Pakistan, Narendra Modi on Tuesday said “water and blood can’t flow at the same time” as he chaired a meeting to review the 1960 Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.

The meeting came a couple of days after the Indian prime minister threatened to isolate Pakistan internationally at a rally in his first public remarks after the Uri attack that killed 18 Indian soldiers at a military base in Occupied Kashmir.

According to Times of India, the meeting attended by senior officials of the Indian government decided that New Delhi will exploit to the maximum the capacity of three Pak-controlled rivers––Indus, Chenab, Jhelum.

The website of India’s leading English daily said the review was undertaken to give a befitting response to Pakistan in the wake of Uri attack.

The hawks in India have called on the government to scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the militant attack.

The Indus Water Treaty was signed by Indian Prime Minister  Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s military ruler President Ayub Khan in 1960 under which water of six rivers –Beas, Ravim Sutlej, Indgus Chenab and Jhelum–were to be shared between the two countries.