NEW DELHI, June 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has firmly stated that India will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, asserting that the water currently flowing to Pakistan under the 1960 agreement will be diverted for domestic use, particularly in Rajasthan. The remarks were made during an exclusive interview with the Times of India published on Saturday.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the use of six rivers shared by India and Pakistan. It granted Pakistan exclusive rights to the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — which originate in India and account for nearly 80% of Pakistan’s irrigated agriculture.
India placed its participation in the treaty “in abeyance” following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians, an act New Delhi attributed to Pakistan-based groups. Although the two countries agreed to a ceasefire last month after their worst border clashes in decades, the treaty remains suspended.
In a strong rebuke of Pakistan’s stance, Shah said, “No, it will never be restored. We will take water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably.”
Shah’s comments come amid heightened tensions and indicate a significant hardening of India’s policy on water-sharing with Pakistan. He is the most powerful minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, and his statements are seen as a clear indication of the government’s firm posture moving forward.
The Indian government had already signaled its intentions last month when Reuters reported plans to significantly increase water withdrawals from a major river that flows into Pakistan, as a form of retaliation for cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to Shah’s latest remarks, but it has previously maintained that the treaty does not allow unilateral withdrawal. Islamabad has warned that any attempt to block river waters will be regarded as an “act of war” and is reportedly exploring legal avenues under international law to challenge India’s actions.
