FO assails Indian home minister’s ‘brazen disregard’ for int’l agreements with remarks on never restoring IWT

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday slammed Indian 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.

Delhi unilaterally suspended its participation in the 1960 IWT, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, on April 23, shortly after 26 civilians were killed in India-held Kashmir. Delhi, without evidence, blamed Islamabad for the attack. The latter has denied the allegations and called for a neutral probe. The accord remains dormant despite a ceasefire agreed upon by the two nuclear-armed neighbours last month following their worst fighting in decades.

“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.

Responding to Shah’s comments, FO 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’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 FO 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 FO 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.

Addressing a crowd of supporters on Friday night, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that New Delhi must accept the IWT, warning that if it refused to honour the treaty, “we will fight another war and take all six rivers. We know how to defend our rivers.”

Earlier in the month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned India’s unilateral suspension of the IWT, describing it as a “blatant violation and act of water aggression”, and warned that Pakistan would give a befitting response in line with decisions made at the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting held on April 24.

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.

The FO did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comments, but it has said in the past that the treaty has no provision for one side to unilaterally pull back, and that any blocking of river water flowing to Pakistan will be considered “an act of war”.

Islamabad is also exploring a legal challenge to India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance under international law.

FM Dar slams India’s ‘provocative and inflammatory’ statements

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar slammed Shah’s “provocative and inflammatory” comments on the IWT, warning that stopping Pakistan’s water will be considered an act of war.

“Pakistan is taking all necessary steps to ensure regional stability,” Dar told the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting hosted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

“The provocative and inflammatory statements being made by the Indian leadership, as well as India’s unilateral and illegal actions, especially its decision to hold the IWT in abeyance, represent an intent to further destabilise the region,” he said.

“Let me state categorically that Pakistan will not allow India to stop water for our people. It will be treated as an act of war.”

Held Kashmir’s CM opposes diverting waters to other states

Indian-held Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday opposed diverting the state’s waters to Punjab and other neighbouring states now that the IWT with Pakistan stands suspended, asking why they should get more water when they already have three rivers while parts of the Union Territory are facing an acute water shortage, India’s Telegraph reported.

“Nobody will take it. At least I will not allow it as of now. First allow us to use our water, then we will talk about others. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. There is no water in taps,” Abdullah told reporters.

Abdullah was reacting to the purported central government move to conduct a feasibility study for constructing a 113km-long canal to direct the surplus flow from the three western rivers of the Indus water system, the report said.

“Why should I take water to Punjab? There are already three rivers with Punjab (and the other two states) under the Indus Waters Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?” he was quoted as having said.

Omar referred to Punjab’s purported refusal to share water during disputes over the Ujh multipurpose project and the Shahpur Kandi barrage in Jammu in the past. “We were in dire straits then but they kept us waiting for years…. After years, some work was done on the Shahpur Kandi barrage,” he said.