NEW DELHI (Dunya News) – Indian army’s Lieutenant General retired Kanwal Jeet Singh has alleged that India could use water as a weapon against Pakistan.
A video clip of his interview, which recently went viral on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has reignited concerns over the use of shared water as a weapon.
In the clip, Singh claimed that India has the full capability to control water flow – either by blocking or suddenly releasing it – to cause flooding in Pakistan.
He stated that India can withhold water and then suddenly release it towards Pakistan, which would result in floods that Pakistan would not be able to manage.
He further added that India could hold back water during Pakistan’s crop-growing seasons and release it during monsoon periods when water is least needed, causing maximum damage to agriculture and infrastructure.
The retired army official said the Indus Water Treaty is not an international standing, saying it is a bilateral agreement rather than a global one, implying that India could act unilaterally to stop or release the water.
The statement comes amid devastating floods triggered by release of water by India into the Ravi, Jhelum, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
The floods caused significant loss of life, destruction of crops, and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.