Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project in Nausari, about 40 km from Muzaffarabad.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Pakistan’s allegation that India had targeted the Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an “absolute and complete fabrication”, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday, suggesting that Pakistan was attempting to use the claim as a “pretext” to target “Indian infrastructure of a similar nature”.

“I want to say that this is an absolute and complete fabrication and a blatant lie… I should note that if this kind of claim is a pretext for targeting Indian infrastructure of a similar nature, Pakistan will be entirely responsible for the consequences that will undoubtedly follow,” Mr. Misri said at a special press briefing here.

Mr. Misri also said that contrary to reports in Pakistani and Turkish media, the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of India and Pakistan have not been in contact since Operation Sindoor took place early on Wednesday morning.

Official sources emphasised that India had not considered targets that fall in the category of infrastructure in Pakistan. Pakistan’s allegations came in the backdrop of India’s announcement of putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) ‘in abeyance’ following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

Mr. Misri argued that Pakistan has been spreading “disinformation” about the IWT and gave an indication of the Indian assessment of the treaty, saying that “over the last year-and-a-half to two years”, India has sent “several notices to them [Pakistan] requesting for negotiations to discuss a modification of the treaty”.

“India has for over six decades now, honoured the treaty, even during periods when Pakistan imposed multiple wars on us, and even when relations were adversarial. Pakistan is the one that has been acting in violation of the treaty,” said Mr. Misri, accusing the neighbouring country of “hampering” India’s rights to use its “legitimate waters under the treaty.”

Mr Misri said there are a number of changes that have taken place in the realms of technology, climate and demographics that need to be taken into account regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. “This is a treaty that was based on the engineering techniques of the ’50s and the ’60s. We are living through the first quarter of the 21st century. Technological changes and technological advancements have to be taken into account,” argued Mr. Misri.