Amit Shah Says Indus Waters Treaty With Pakistan Will ‘Never Be Restored’
India has ruled out any possibility of restoring the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, with Home Minister Amit Shah declaring that the water currently flowing to Pakistan will instead be diverted for domestic use. His remarks, made during an interview with The Times of India on Saturday, signal a hardening of New Delhi’s stance on the decades-old accord.
Shah, considered the most influential figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet after the premier himself, stated that India would construct a canal to reroute water from the Indus river system to the arid region of Rajasthan. “Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably,” he said. When asked whether the treaty could be reinstated, Shah was unequivocal: “No, it will never be restored.”
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The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, has long been viewed as a rare example of sustained cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. It had ensured Pakistan access to waters from three major rivers originating in India, providing irrigation for over 80% of its agricultural lands.
However, tensions escalated after a deadly incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) last year left 26 civilians dead. India blamed the attack on cross-border terrorism and subsequently placed the treaty “in abeyance,” halting its participation. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the incident, and although a ceasefire agreement was reached last month, hopes of resuming talks on water sharing appear dim.
India’s move is part of what officials have described as retaliatory measures, with reports last month indicating plans to increase water withdrawal from rivers flowing toward Pakistan. Islamabad has expressed serious concern, warning previously that any attempt to block water unilaterally would be viewed as “an act of war.”
While Pakistan’s foreign ministry has not issued an immediate response to Shah’s latest comments, it has already begun exploring international legal avenues to challenge India’s suspension of the treaty. Pakistani officials maintain that the accord contains no provision allowing either country to unilaterally withdraw.
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