India's water politics pose 'grave health risk', Pakistan tells WHO forum

• Indian strikes damaged dispensary, disrupted health services.
• Pakistan reaffirms commitment to WHO health agenda.
• Islamabad backs global pandemic treaty adoption at WHA.

GENEVA: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has called for holding India accountable for threatening to halt the flow of Indus River waters, warning such a course would jeopardise the health of over 240 million Pakistani people.

"Weaponising water and targeting civilian health infrastructure by India are flagrant breaches of international law," he told the World Health Assembly-78, a body of the World Health Organisation, which is meeting in Geneva.

During the recent tensions, Kamal said Indian strikes also damaged a government dispensary, disrupting front-line care for vulnerable communities.

India launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistan earlier on the night of May 6-7, damaging several infrastructures and martyring more than 50, including those from the security forces.

The health minister also underlined Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the WHO’s global health agenda and polio eradication was the government’s foremost priority.

The health minister, moreover, underlined the national progress on reduced preventable maternal and child mortality; increased immunisation coverage and responses to infectious diseases, such as HIV, malaria, dengue, and hepatitis; and appreciation for the adoption of the landmark Pandemic Agreement.

India reacted to the health minister’s statement, repeating its usual string of allegations against Pakistan.

Danyal Hasnain, a Second Secretary at the Pakistani Mission to the UN in Geneva, hit back at India, warning: "As a lower riparian, unrestricted access to water is a matter of survival for us and history has proven that whenever provoked, Pakistan has always defended itself and will do it again, with all means at its disposal."

He said: "The entire world recently witnessed how the hubris-inspired adventurism and reckless military action by the Indian government, led by BJP, imperilled regional peace and security."

"Fueled by its misplaced notions of superiority, the Indian government once again proved that it is one of the most persistent violators of international law," he said.

Hasnain added: "However, the recent illegal military actions undertaken by India violated every precept of international law, especially the UN Charter, which guarantees sovereignty and integrity of member states."