India Slams Khawaja Asif's War Threat as 'Desperate Attempt' to Cover Up Failings, Cites PoK Crackdown

On June 23, 2026, India's Ministry of External Affairs launched a sharp counter to Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's June 21 threat to go to war over the Indus Waters Treaty. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: 'Such remarks are desperate attempts by Pakistan to cover up its own failings and divert attention away from its human rights abuses.' Jaiswal pivoted to the ongoing deadly crackdown on protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, noting that 'several people have lost their lives as a result' and calling on 'the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for its actions, misdeeds, and human rights abuses' in the region. The exchange underscores how both the Indus Waters dispute and the Pakistan-administered Kashmir unrest have become linked flashpoints in the two countries' diplomatic sparring.