India Rules Out Restoration of Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan

India has stated it will never reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, effectively signalling the end of one of South Asia’s most durable bilateral water-sharing agreements.

In an interview published on Saturday, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that the 1960 accord, which has been in abeyance since early 2025, would not be revived.

Shah stated unequivocally that water from rivers allocated to Pakistan under the treaty would be diverted to India for domestic use, particularly to the arid state of Rajasthan.

“No, it will never be restored,” Shah said, referring to the treaty. “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.”

The remarks follow the suspension of Indian participation in the treaty earlier this year, after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. India blamed the attack on Pakistan-based militants. Islamabad has denied any involvement. Though both countries agreed to a ceasefire last month after their most serious military escalation in years, diplomatic engagement over the water dispute has remained stalled.

Signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, the Indus Waters Treaty granted Pakistan access to the three western rivers of the Indus basin — the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — while India retained rights to the three eastern rivers — the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The treaty has been considered one of the few successful examples of sustained cooperation between the two countries, even during times of war.

The current Indian stance marks a significant departure from the past six decades of adherence to the accord. Shah’s comments also reinforce earlier reports from May, in which Indian officials indicated plans to expand water extraction from rivers flowing into Pakistan as part of retaliatory measures. Those plans include infrastructure projects aimed at redirecting water towards Indian regions bordering Pakistan.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry has not yet issued an official response to Shah’s latest statement. However, in earlier comments, Islamabad has argued that the treaty contains no clause permitting unilateral withdrawal or suspension. It has previously warned that any attempt by India to block or divert water from the rivers could be considered “an act of war”.

Islamabad is also reportedly preparing a legal case under international law to contest India’s move to suspend the treaty. Legal scholars and former diplomats in Pakistan have argued that India’s unilateral abeyance could be in violation of its obligations under international water law and the treaty’s dispute resolution mechanisms, which include neutral expert assessment and arbitration.

Water management in the Indus basin is of critical importance to Pakistan, where agriculture constitutes nearly a quarter of the economy and employs a significant proportion of the population. Over 80% of the country’s irrigated land depends on the water flows regulated by the treaty. Any significant disruption could have direct economic and humanitarian consequences.

From India’s perspective, the decision to suspend and now permanently end the treaty appears rooted in domestic political and security considerations. Shah’s remarks reflect a hardening of attitudes within Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government towards Pakistan following continued tensions over cross-border militancy.

Security analysts suggest that the cancellation of the treaty may form part of a broader Indian strategy to increase pressure on Islamabad by targeting critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. At the same time, it may serve a political function domestically, appealing to nationalist sentiments in the lead-up to forthcoming state elections.

There is no indication of a return to bilateral dialogue on water-sharing in the immediate future. Talks between the two countries’ Indus Commissioners, which have previously served as a backchannel for resolving technical disputes under the treaty, have been inactive since the treaty was placed in abeyance.

The World Bank, which has played a historic role in facilitating the treaty and resolving disputes, has not commented on the current status of the agreement since the Indian announcement. In previous instances of tension, the World Bank has urged restraint and encouraged adherence to the treaty’s mechanisms for dispute resolution.

Given the treaty’s historic role in preventing water-related conflicts between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, its effective collapse represents a major shift in the regional balance and adds a new dimension to an already fragile bilateral relationship.

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