Indus Treaty suspension: Pakistan should realise threatening neighbours does lead to consequences, says former US NSA (IANS Exclusive)

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) India's decision to put the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack should send a strong message to Pakistan that engaging in activities that threaten their neighbours does lead to consequences, a key aide of US President Donald Trump during his first term told IANS in an exclusive interview on Saturday.

"It is something that I hope can be resolved between India and Pakistan. This question of riparian rights in countries that are obviously critically dependent for irrigation and other uses on this water supply. If arrangements that have been worked out in the past are no longer workable, I think everybody is going to suffer, particularly in the downstream areas. So, it should be a message to Pakistan that engaging in activities that threaten their neighbours do lead to consequences," John Bolton, the US National Security Advisor (NSA) to the US President Donald Trump from 2018-2019, told IANS in an exclusive interview.

India has maintained that Pakistan has been exposed as a rogue state, fuelling global terrorism, and destabilising the entire region. The heinous Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent civilians were gunned down by four terrorists, two of them from Pakistan, has once again raised worldwide calls for punishing the country fuelling global terror.

"I think if their activity warrants it, they should be. The United States has never hesitated to do that. I think in this case, it is more a question of the Pakistani government not exercising effective control over its own territory, which is a legitimate reason for India, to act militarily if it so decides and also a way to limit possible escalation, because it would not be considered an attack on Pakistan itself, but on lawless groups in, in their territory," said Bolton.

The former US Ambassador to the United Nations said that, with the terrorist problem growing more acute in the region, both New Delhi and Washington should engage in more extensive counterterrorism cooperation.

"Obviously in the context of Kashmir, it's been a serious issue since Partition and other terrorist attacks that India has endured in more recent years across the country. So, it's one reason why I think US Indian cooperation on counterterrorism activities has been amply justified in the past and certainly could benefit from more extensive cooperation," Bolton mentioned.

Pakistan stayed on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for a long time and continues to support, facilitating and financing terror elements to operate and carry out various activities, especially in India.

"Well, I think, in fact, steps have been taken. I think Pakistan's been on the watch list several times, and I think it should be subject to continued review if there are new facts that warrant stronger steps. The US feels very strongly about state support for terrorism. We've been subjected to it ourselves and it's been a consistent position," said Bolton.

--IANS

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