Pakistan bound to use force if India blocks water: Ex Indus Water Commissioner

KARACHI: Former Indus Water Commissioner Jamat Ali Shah on Monday slammed India for threatening to block the flow of water into Pakistan's Indus river.

"What should we believe of what the Indian PM says: ending poverty or blocking flow of water into Pakistan," he said. "This is open economic terrorism."

The former commissioner expressed fears that if the Indus Water Treaty ended then neighboring arch-rival may build up dams on Jhelum and Chenab rivers.

Shah went on to say that even if India builds dams on Jhelum and Chenab, the water flowing into Pakistan would not be completely blocked. "The farmer, however, would not get water on time," he added.

"Even if India wants, it cannot divert the flow of Indus and Jhelum rivers," he claimed, adding however there are apprehensions regarding Chenab.

Jamat Ali Shah stressed that Pakistan should take up the matter with international organisations and ask them to prevent India from doing so.

"Pakistan and India both are nuclear states and if they deprived us of water, then we would be compelled to get it restored by using force," he said.

Earlier, Indian premier Narendra Modi reviewed provisions of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, reported Indian media. He, along with government officials, evaluated the pros and cons of the treaty signed in 1960.

New Delhi ruled out cancelling the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan but is looking for ways of increasing its use of waters that flow from India but are controlled by Pakistan.