Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has said in an interview with Times of India on Saturday that India has no plans to revive Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and will utilize water flowing to Pakistan under Indus Waters Treaty for internal purposes.
Following the deaths of 26 civilians in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in what Delhi called a terror attack, India placed its adherence to the 1960 treaty, which regulates the use of the Indus river system, in “abeyance.”
Through three rivers that start in India, the treaty had ensured that 80% of Pakistan’s farms would have access to water.
Although the two nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a ceasefire last month after their worst fighting in decades, the agreement is still in stalemate, even though Pakistan has denied any involvement in the incident.
“No, it will never be restored,” Shah informed the daily.
“By building a canal, we will transport water that was going to Pakistan to Rajasthan. Shah made reference to the northwest Indian state, saying, “Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably.”
According to a report last month, India intends to take retaliatory action by drastically increasing the amount of water it takes from a significant river that supplies Pakistani farms downstream.
However, it has previously stated that any obstruction of river water flowing to Pakistan will be deemed “an act of war” and that the treaty contains no provisions for one side to unilaterally withdraw.
Islamabad is also looking into bringing a legal challenge under international law against India for its decision to put the treaty on hold.
