‘Not a single drop...’: Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil says strategy on anvil to stop Indus flow into Pakistan

The government is drawing up a strategy to ensure that "not a single drop of water flows from India into Pakistan," Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said on April 25, following a high-level meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah. The meeting was held to chart the future course of action after India announced it would keep the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance, citing Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.

Paatil said the meeting was convened as a follow-up to directives issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We will ensure that not a single drop of water flows into Pakistan from India,” Paatil told PTI. In a post on X, he added, “The Modi government's historic decision on the Indus Waters Treaty is lawful and in national interest. We will ensure that not a single drop of Indus water flows into Pakistan.”

Sources said several top officials from key ministries attended the meeting. The government is reportedly preparing a long-term framework to operationalise the decision effectively.

India formally informed Pakistan of the treaty suspension, citing violations stemming from Islamabad’s role in sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision marks a major escalation in India's policy response following the Pahalgam massacre.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has reportedly decided to pause work on the controversial Cholistan canals project, launched in February to irrigate arid lands in Punjab province. The project, inaugurated by Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, had sparked backlash in Sindh, where the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other political outfits protested its potential impact on downstream water flow.

On April 25, Pakistan reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty is "of critical importance" to its water security and economy. Islamabad stated that it would take "all appropriate steps to preserve its sanctity and ensure smooth implementation."