India working to stop water flow to Pakistan, says minister

India is working on plans to ensure that no water flows to Pakistan from rivers covered under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Indian Water Minister C.R. Patil said, following New Delhi’s suspension of the decades-old agreement.

Speaking to ANI news agency, Patil said the Indian government was acting on directives from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was “actively working” to prevent water from reaching Pakistan in the coming years.

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty regulates the sharing of water from six rivers of the Indus basin that originate in India and flow into Pakistan. The treaty has remained a key framework for water cooperation between the two neighbours despite periods of political tension.

Pakistan has maintained that the treaty remains legally binding and has warned that any attempt to alter the natural flow of shared rivers would violate international commitments. Islamabad has repeatedly rejected India’s decision to suspend the agreement and has described efforts to use water as a political tool as unacceptable.

The dispute has intensified since India suspended its participation in the treaty in May 2025 following an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, allegations that Pakistan denied.