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'Water won't go anywhere': Jal Shakti minister on Indus Waters Treaty
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Thursday said the water from the Indus river system won't go anywhere, and whatever decision the government takes will be for the benefit of the nation. His statement comes months after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
At a press conference, the minister was asked about the status of the treaty, "This decision belongs to the Indian government and the Prime Minister... There is no update on the abeyance of the treaty. Whatever decision will be taken will only benefit the nation," he said.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Indus Water Treaty, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil says, "This decision belongs to the Indian government and the Prime Minister... There is no update on the abeyance of the treaty. Whatever decision will be taken will only benefit the nation..." pic.twitter.com/e1uuryGOH9
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2025
Referring to the recent remarks by former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto on IWT, Patil said that India is "not afraid of false threats".
Two days ago, Bhutto said that India should either share the water fairly or Pakistan will direct the water towards them from all six rivers, news agency PTI reported.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Bilawal Bhutto's reported statement on Indus Water Treaty, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil says, "The water won't go anywhere... What he says is his own question... We are not afraid of false threats..." pic.twitter.com/0FiGHZVErl
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2025
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, governs the distribution of water from the Indus river system — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — between India and Pakistan. Islamabad depends on water from the three rivers originating in India for around 80 per cent of its agricultural needs.
India had suspended the treaty as a diplomatic retaliation after the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Last week, in an interview with The Times of India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said that India will never revive the Indus Waters Treaty and will instead redirect river water currently flowing to Pakistan for use within India.
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