In an unsettling example of the uncanny similarity between the Pakistan Army's rhetoric and the nation's terror networks, a Pakistani army spokesperson delivered a threat to India in language disturbingly similar to that of sanctioned terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
A clip of Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressing a gathering at a Pakistani university displayed him declaring, "If you block our water, we will choke you." This statement seemed to allude to India's recent move to put the water-sharing pact on hold in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
His words closely paralleled those of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, who was quoted as saying, "If you stop the water, God willing, we will stop your breath, and then blood shall flow in these rivers," in videos doing the rounds on the internet, with many commenting on the creepy similarity of their words.
The military officer soon engaged in an online exchange, which quickly went into controversy as a result of the stark similarities between his statements and those of the terrorist leader.
Discussing the thread, Afghan politician and ex-MP Mariam Solaimankhil said, "He has apparently adopted a word-for-word copy of Lashkar-e-Taiba's founder Hafiz Saeed's script: 'If India stops the water we will stop their breath.' It appears that the Pakistani military establishment also uses the same script as identified terrorists."
India Today could not independently confirm the precise date of Hafiz Saeed's video, which reportedly comes from an old public address.
Recently, India has raised serious doubts over the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks. The action is part of a larger range of punishment measures by New Delhi against Islamabad for allegedly backing cross-border terrorism.
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