Amit Shah Rules Out Revival of Indus Waters Treaty, Says India Will Divert Water to Rajasthan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear that the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan will not be revived. In a firm statement during an interview with The Times of India, Shah said the government plans to reroute water currently flowing to Pakistan for use within India.

“No, it will never be restored,” Shah said when asked about the status of the six-decade-old agreement. He added, “We will take the water that was flowing to Pakistan and bring it to Rajasthan by building a canal. Pakistan will be denied the water it has been receiving without justification.”

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, has long governed the sharing of river waters between the two countries. However, the Indian government suspended the agreement after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. Citing Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism, India placed the treaty “in abeyance.”

While Pakistan has denied any role in the Pahalgam attack, the treaty remains suspended despite both sides agreeing to a ceasefire after years of tension and clashes along the border.

Pakistan Urges Review, India Holds Its Ground

Since the suspension, Pakistan has made several appeals urging India to reconsider its decision. According to officials, Pakistan’s Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, has written at least four letters to India’s Jal Shakti Ministry—three of them following Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack—asking for the suspension to be lifted.

Pakistan argues that India’s move violates the terms of the treaty and says that one country cannot unilaterally suspend such an agreement. But India has held firm, with officials reiterating that "talks and terror cannot go together."

India formally informed Pakistan of the suspension on April 24. In the official letter, India’s Water Resources Secretary, Debashree Mukherjee, wrote, “The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental. But instead, we have seen continued cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”

The Indus Waters Treaty has historically been viewed as a rare and enduring example of cooperation between India and Pakistan, surviving wars and diplomatic breakdowns over the decades. But with trust at an all-time low, its future now appears uncertain.