New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for the first time since India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty. “India’s water is set to flow outside,” he mentioned. “Now, it will certainly stream for India’s benefit.” The remarks originated at an ABP News occasion on May 6, 2025. They signify a shift in India’s approach to the 1960 water-sharing pact with Pakistan.
Treaty Suspension After Attack
India froze the treaty on April 23, 2025, after the devastating Pahalgam terrorist attack murdered 26 blameless residents. The administration blames Pakistan-based extremists for the bloodshed. Modi’s advisory cited nationwide security and cross-outskirt terrorism in suspending the treaty. The treaty, overseen by the World Bank, surrendered to Pakistan 80% of the Indus River framework’s water. India controlled the leftover 20%.
Water for National Interest
Modi focused on putting the “country first”. He expressed India’s water will presently be saved for its kin. “It will be utilised for India’s advancement,” he included. The administration intends to support dam limits along the Indus waterway framework. Jal Shakti Priest CR Paatil guaranteed, “Not a solitary drop will traverse to Pakistan.” Short-, medium- and long-haul intents to redirect water are, as of now, being actualised.
Pakistan’s Response
Pakistan called the suspension a “demonstration of war”. It depends intensely on the Indus for 80% of its ranch land. Islamabad denies inclusion in the assault. It has cautioned of lawful activity at the World Bank or International Court of Justice. Specialists accept India lacks the framework to stop water streams promptly. Be that as it may, new dams could disrupt Pakistan’s agribusiness in forthcoming decades.
Strategic and Diplomatic Fallout
The move follows India’s closure of the Attari border crossing and visa cancellations for Pakistanis, worsening already low diplomatic ties between the two nations. Modi highlighted his government’s bold decisions over the past decade that lifted over 250 million people out of poverty. “Democracy can deliver change,” he asserted. The UN and US have urged both nations to avoid further escalation and consider alternative dispute resolution.