India has said it will not restore the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan

Amit Shah, the Indian Home Minister, said that India would never restore the Indus water treaty with Islamabad and the water flowing into Pakistan would be diverted to India for its own use. This was revealed in an interview published by the Times of India.

After 26 civilians were killed in Indian Kashmir in an attack that Delhi called a terrorist act, India "abrogated" its participation to the 1960 treaty which governs usage of the Indus River system. The 1960 treaty guaranteed water to 80% of Pakistani farms via three rivers that originated in India.

Pakistan has denied any involvement in the incident. However, the agreement remains dormant in spite of a ceasefire that was agreed by the two nuclear-armed neighbors last month after their worst fighting for decades.

Shah told the newspaper that "no, it won't be restored."

We will divert water flowing into Pakistan towards Rajasthan by building a canal. Shah, who was referring to northwestern Indian state of Punjab, said that Pakistan would be deprived of the water it had been receiving unjustifiably.

Shah's latest remarks, as the most powerful cabinet member in Prime Minister NarendraModi's cabinet have dimmed Islamabad’s hopes of a treaty negotiation in the near future.

As a retaliatory measure, India announced plans last month to increase its water withdrawal from a major river, which feeds Pakistani farmland downstream.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to the request for comment.

It has stated in the past, that the treaty does not allow for unilateral withdrawal by one party and that any blockage of water flowing into Pakistan would be considered an "act of war".

Islamabad also considers a legal challenge against India's decision, under international law, to put the treaty on hold.

(source: Reuters)