India will Never Restore Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan: Amit Shah

India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan will never be restored, and that the water previously flowing to Pakistan will now be diverted for domestic use. Speaking to The Times of India, Shah stated:

“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.”

India unilaterally withdrew from the 1960 treaty on 23 April, after 26 civilians were killed in India-held Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting any evidence.

Pakistan denied the allegation and called for a neutral investigation. Despite a ceasefire being agreed between the two countries last month, the status of the treaty remains unchanged.

India’s Retaliatory Action and Pakistan’s Response

According to Reuters, India plans to increase its use of water from a major river that feeds into Pakistani agricultural land.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on Shah’s latest remarks but has previously stated that the treaty does not allow unilateral withdrawal.

It added that any attempt to block water flow to Pakistan would be considered “an act of war.” Islamabad is also exploring legal action against India under international law.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier condemned India’s action as “a blatant violation and act of water aggression”, warning that Pakistan would respond accordingly, based on decisions made during the 24 April National Security Committee meeting.

Opposition from Within Indian-Held Kashmir

Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Indian-held Kashmir, strongly opposed diverting water to other Indian states. He said:

“Nobody will take it. At least I will not allow it as of now. First allow us to use our water, then we will talk about others. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. There is no water in taps.”

Speaking to The Telegraph (India), Abdullah criticised the central government’s proposed 113 km-long canal project that would reroute water from the Indus system. He questioned:

“Why should I take water to Punjab? There are already three rivers with Punjab (and the other two states) under the Indus Waters Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?”

He referenced past issues, such as Punjab’s refusal to share water during disputes over the Ujh multipurpose project and the Shahpur Kandi barrage.

“We were in dire straits then but they kept us waiting for years… After years, some work was done on the Shahpur Kandi barrage,” he added.