ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday Pakistan expects India to abide by the international agreements on sharing of water in the Indus River system.

“Pakistan would be paying a very high price for India’s move to block Pakistan’s water supply from the Chenab River. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured me in our meeting in New York that his country is seriously committed to the water-sharing treaty. We expect him to stand by his commitment,” he said.

Pointing to the ramifications of the violation of the Indus Water Treaty, Zardari said that the Indian move would damage the bilateral ties the two countries had built over the years. “India should not trade-off important regional objectives for short-term domestic goals,” he said.

Zardari said that the government was pursuing the issue on the highest level. “Pakistani officials would be taking up the matter with the Indian officials,” he said. He said that Pakistan and India should reap the benefits of shared border, rather than allowing that to become a burden for the two nations.

“Our two governments would be obliging to public sentiments if we move to strengthen the bilateral ties,” he said, adding: “However, our national interests are equally important and our government is committed to protecting them. We hope that the Indian PM would remember agreements on the judicious sharing of the Chenab waters.”