ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Saturday slammed India’s Home Minister Amit Shah’s “brazen disregard” for international agreements after the latter said New Delhi would never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Islamabad.
“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,” Shah said in an interview with Times of India on Saturday.
Responding to Shah’s comments, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said they reflected “a brazen disregard for the sanctity of international agreements” and noted that the IWT is an apolitical agreement without provisions for unilateral action.
India put into “abeyance” its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, after 26 civilians in IIOJK were killed.
“India’s illegal announcement to hold the treaty in abeyance constitutes a clear violation of international law, the provisions of the treaty itself, and the fundamental principles governing inter-state relations,” the Foreign Office stated.
“Such conduct sets a reckless and dangerous precedent — one that undermines the credibility of international agreements and raises serious questions about the reliability and trustworthiness of a state that openly refuses to fulfil its legal obligations.”
The statement added that “weaponising water for political ends” is irresponsible and contrary to the behaviour of a responsible state. It demanded that India immediately restore the full implementation of the IWT.
“For its part, Pakistan remains firmly committed to the treaty and will take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and entitlements under it,” the statement concluded.
The latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, have dimmed Islamabad’s hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.
Last month, Reuters reported that India plans to dramatically increase the water it draws from a major river that feeds Pakistani farms downstream, as part of retaliatory action.
“No, it will never be restored,” Shah told The Times of India earlier today. “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 latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, reveal Delhi’s intentions as Islamabad hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.
