Pakistani military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has issued a warning to India similar to that used by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
He was speaking at a public gathering over India's decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance till Islamabad abjures terrorism and stop aiding, funding and supporting terrorist groups emanating from its soil.
Chaudhry reportedly made the comments during a speech at a university in Pakistan.
Referring to India's recent move to suspend the water-sharing treaty following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, he said, "If you block our water, we will choke your breath."
His statement mirrors the hostile rhetoric used by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, known for his inflammatory speeches against India and the US.
In a video, making rounds on social media X, Hafiz Saeed can be heard saying those same words.
The statements come as India suspended parts of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, a day after the terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people.
The treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries between the two countries.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly said "blood and water cannot flow together; talk and terror cannot go together," signalling a tougher stance on Pakistan's alleged support for cross-border terrorism.
Suspension was a part of countermeasures taken against Islamabad, including "Operation Sindoor" on May 7 that targeted nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday declared that any future dialogue with Pakistan will focus solely on the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated firmly that "terror and talks can't coexist," highlighting that India remains open only to discussions on the extradition of wanted terrorists already listed and shared with Islamabad.
Clarifying India’s stance on the Kashmir issue, Jaiswal underlined, "Any bilateral discussion will only be on the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan."
Speaking on the suspended Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Jaiswal confirmed that the agreement will remain in abeyance until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to stop supporting terrorism.
He echoed Prime Minister Modi’s statement: "Water and blood cannot flow together," indicating a hardening of India’s position on the historic water-sharing agreement.
In a related development, two staff members of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were declared ‘persona non grata’ for activities deemed inconsistent with their official status.
“One has already left India, and the other was given 24 hours to do so,” Jaiswal said, underscoring the seriousness of their misconduct.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, where he delivered a stern warning to Islamabad.
He said Pakistan would have to “struggle for every penny” if it continued to support terror, and that it would not get India’s rightful share of water under the current treaty terms.
“Playing with the blood of Indians will now cost Pakistan heavily," PM Modi added.
Gujarat: BJP’s Satish Patel dedicates Manjalpur bypoll victory to late Yogesh Patel
Newly elected Manjalpur MLA Satish Patel on Monday dedicated his victory in the Gujarat Assembly by-election to the late BJP leader and former minister Yogesh Patel, saying he would carry forward the work undertaken by his predecessor after securing a comfortable win in the constituency.
PK wins Bankipur, ends BJP's dominance; Samrat Choudhary congratulates him
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has registered a major victory in the Bankipur Assembly by-election, defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by a margin of 18,963 votes and breaking the BJP’s long-standing dominance over the constituency.
ANDPL to rejuvenate 40,000 trees within Dharavi, build 3.3-km Mithi River riverfront
In a bid to give residents better access to green public spaces, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) will place the rejuvenation of the Mithi River at the centre of a new green-blue network — designed to improve the environment and create healthier spaces across one of Mumbai’s most densely-populated neighbourhoods, it was announced on Monday.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat to interact with Gen Z in Mumbai on Aug 6
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to interact with representatives of Generation Z and Generation Alpha on August 6 in Mumbai.
Two women among eight militants arrested in Manipur, arms and drugs seized
Eight militants, including two women cadres, belonging to different banned insurgent outfits were arrested and arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials recovered in separate joint security force operations across Manipur during the past 24 hours, officials said on Monday.
Tribal Welfare Minister orders probe into alleged irregularities at Ambedkar Girls' Hostel
Minister for Tribal Welfare, Bikash Debbarma, on Monday ordered a detailed inquiry into allegations of irregularities in the supply of food items at the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Memorial Girls' Hostel located on Jagannath Bari Road in Agartala.
Assam villages devastated by flood might have to be rebuilt: Sarma
Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday indicated that the state government may have to rebuild entire villages devastated by the recent floods in Upper Assam, saying the scale of destruction in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts has gone far beyond what can be addressed through immediate relief measures.
Pakistan: Death toll in Swat police station suicide attack rises to 17
The death toll from the suicide bombing at Kabal Police Station in Swat district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has risen to 17 after two more injured police personnel succumbed to their injuries, local media reported on Monday.