NEW DELHI, June 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said India will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty with Islamabad, and the water flowing to Pakistan will be diverted for internal use.
In an interview with the Times of India, Shah said, “No, it will never be restored. International treaties can’t be annulled unilaterally, but we had the right to put them in abeyance, which we have done. The treaty preamble mentions that it was for the peace and progress of the two countries, but once that has been violated, there is nothing left to protect.”
“We will use water that rightfully belongs to India. We will take the water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably.”
Condemning the Pahalgam attack, Shah called it a “deliberate attempt to sabotage peace in Kashmir, to stop rising tourism and distract Kashmiri youth”. He said the Kashmir Valley had never shown such solidarity with India before.
“We will not hesitate to act against whatever Pakistan chooses to do, without any delay,” he said, adding that tourists have resumed their travels to Kashmir. He also said Pakistan attacked civilian locations in India, but India gave a befitting reply by damaging their airbases, which prompted them to seek a suspension in hostilities.
“In line with the PM’s public declaration to punish terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack, we launched limited strikes on terror launchpads and made it very clear that it was a targeted strike. Pakistan treated our strike on terrorists as an attack on its territory, ending the distinction,” he said
He also hit out at Congress for its relentless criticism of Operation Sindoor, saying, “I want to ask Congress, what used to happen during their time? How can Congress question us on the issue of terrorism? It used to do nothing except change a minister. Of all political parties, Congress certainly has no right to criticise us.”
India put into “abeyance” its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, after 26 civilians in Indian Kashmir were killed in what Delhi described as an act of terror. The treaty had guaranteed water access for 80% of Pakistan’s farms through three rivers originating in India.
The latest comments from Shah have dimmed Islamabad’s hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.
India plans to dramatically increase the water it draws from a major river that feeds Pakistani farms downstream, as part of retaliatory action.