India reaffirms Indus treaty suspension stand

New Delhi

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Thursday reiterated India’s firm stance on the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), asserting that all decisions regarding the agreement will prioritize national interest. He dismissed recent warnings from Pakistan as hollow and irrelevant.

“The decision on the treaty is ours. Whatever action is taken will only benefit the country,” Patil said at a press conference. He emphasized that there was no current update on the abeyance of the treaty but made it clear that India’s position remains unchanged.

Responding sharply to former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent criticism, Patil said, “The water is not going anywhere. His words are meaningless. We are not afraid of empty threats.” He added in Hindi, “Hum gidar bhabkiyon se nahi darte” (We are not scared of false threats).

India had suspended its obligations under the decades-old treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack, attributing the move to Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism. The IWT, signed in 1960, governs the sharing of six rivers between India and Pakistan, with the western rivers primarily allocated to Pakistan.

The suspension is part of a broader diplomatic and strategic approach by the Indian government to curb terrorism and assert control over its water resources. Officials maintain that any future decisions on water sharing will consider only India’s long-term developmental and security goals. Patil’s remarks reinforce India’s assertive position and come amid increasing political and public support for a tough stance on cross-border water issues.