India’s Minister of Water CR Patil has declared that not a single drop of water will flow into Pakistan in the coming years, stating that New Delhi is actively working on it under directives from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The statement is one of India’s most direct public announcements since it declared the Indus Waters Treaty as abeyant after the attack on Pahalgam in April 2025.
The 1960 treaty regulates water use of six rivers that spring from India and fall into Pakistan, providing water for many hundreds of millions of people and the backbone of Pakistan’s agriculture. India suspended the treaty after accusing Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam tourist attack. Pakistan denied the charges.
Experts have pointed out that India’s present infrastructure is not capable of blocking or diverting water on a large scale. If a new project was to be built, it would take several years to be finished, and officials in Indian-occupied Kashmir suggested that construction could not take place before mid-2027, and would need at least five more years to be completed.
Pakistan has repeatedly stressed that IWT is legally binding and has no provision for withdrawal. Islamabad has stated that any attempt to change the river flow of shared rivers will be considered as war. Pakistan has also urged the UN Security Council to address the dispute, warning of grave humanitarian and security consequences for the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated plainly that India will not be allowed to take a single drop of Pakistan’s water.
