Pakistan's letters won't change India's stand on Indus Waters Treaty: Jal Shakti minister
Jal Shakti minister CR Paatil on Thursday rejected Pakistan's repeated letters asking India to lift the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling them just a formality that will not change India's stand. Pakistan's water resources secretary Syed Ali Murtaza has sent a total of four letters to India's Jal Shakti ministry since the Indus Waters Treaty was kept in abeyance on April 23. (PTI )
He said India has no plans to review its decision despite several requests from Pakistan. 'The water under the Indus Waters Treaty is not going anywhere,' Paatil said at a press conference.
Responding to Pakistani leader Bilawal Bhutto's recent comments threatening India over the treaty, Paatil said Bhutto often makes such statements for political reasons.
'He also spoke of blood and water flowing, but we are not scared of such empty threats,' he said.
Bilawal on Monday had said his country would go to war if India denies it its rightful share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
India had put the 1960 agreement in abeyance soon after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Last week, Union home minister Amit Shah announced that the historic treaty would not be restored.
Bilawal's comments came two days after Pakistan's foreign ministry criticised Shah's statement as a 'brazen disregard' for international agreements.
Speaking in parliament, Bilawal rejected India's move to suspend the treaty and warned of retaliation. 'India has two options: share water fairly, or we will deliver water to us from all six rivers,' he said, referring to the Indus basin. Bilawal threatens war: 'If India goes ahead, we will have to wage war again'
Bilawal, who leads the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), also threatened, 'If India decides to go ahead with this, we will have to wage war again.'
Despite the rhetoric, he underlined the need for dialogue and cooperation on terrorism. 'If India and Pakistan refuse to talk, and there is no coordination on terrorism, violence will only rise in both countries,' he said.
He also accused India of 'weaponising terrorism for political purposes' and claimed that during his foreign visits, it was clear India had lobbied hard to undo Pakistan's progress on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) front.
Following the April 22 attack, India responded by suspending the IWT, halting trade with Pakistan, and launching Operation Sindoor on May 7 against terrorist camps in Pakistan-controlled territory.
The operation triggered four days of cross-border clashes, which ended on May 10 after both sides agreed to stop military action.
Meanwhile, India has formally requested a pause in proceedings related to disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects, as it looks to take full control of its western river systems under the Indus Waters Treaty, officials said on Tuesday.
In a letter to World Bank-appointed neutral expert Michel Lino, the government has called for suspension of the agreed work programme, which includes Pakistan's written submissions due in August and joint discussions planned for November.
India had put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The World Bank has not yet responded to India's request.
With PTI inputs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
15 minutes ago
- First Post
'Contempt it deserves': India slams Pakistan for accusation over Waziristan bombing
New Delhi has strongly rejected Pakistan's accusation that it was behind a deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan, in which 16 soldiers were killed, calling it contemptible. read more India on Saturday slammed Pakistan for its false claim that it was behind a deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan that killed 16 Pakistani soldiers. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the allegation, saying, 'We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on 28 June. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves.' It has long been a tactic of Pakistan and its de facto rulers, the Army, to blame India for problems within their own country. Pakistan has long persecuted the Baloch people, depriving them of essential resources and exploiting their region. The same is true of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which remains one of the country's most backward regions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though the Pakistan Army uses terror as a tool of state policy against India, it continues to deflect responsibility for internal security failures. Earlier that day, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy in North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The blast killed 16 soldiers and injured 10 others, along with 19 civilians, according to a local official cited by AFP. The attack was claimed by the suicide unit of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which is linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Violence has been rising in Pakistan's tribal regions. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, attacks in Pakistan's border areas have sharply increased. Islamabad often accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militants who carry out these cross-border strikes, but Kabul denies the allegations. So far this year, about 290 people—mostly security personnel—have been killed in attacks by anti-government groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, AFP reports.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
CJI Gavai says Article 370 went against Ambedkar's vision of one Constitution for India
Nagpur: Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai on Saturday said the 's unanimous verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370 to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir was consistent with Dr BR Ambedkar's vision of a single Constitution for a unified India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He added that two constitutions for one country was never the vision of the chief architect of the statute. "We judges upheld the govt's decision to abrogate Article 370 to ensure that India is governed under one Constitution," he said, calling the judgment an important affirmation of Ambedkar's ideology. Justice Gavai was speaking at the inauguration of the Constitution Preamble Park at the Nagpur University's School of Law. Justice Gavai emphasised that though judges usually refrain from discussing their judgments in public, the Article 370 ruling was of such constitutional significance that it merited reflection. He said it aligned with the foundational principles laid down by Ambedkar, who firmly believed in unity through a single legal and constitutional framework. "During the Constituent Assembly debates, Dr Ambedkar clearly said India should not follow the American model of separate constitutions for the Union and states. He believed in one nation, one Constitution, and that's the philosophy we reinforced in the verdict," Gavai said. He further said even amid turmoil and constitutional breakdowns in neighbouring nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, India has remained united and democratic because of the strong constitutional edifice built by Ambedkar and his fellow framers. "Our neighbours have witnessed coups, collapses, and severe instability, but in 75 years, India has stood firm — thanks to the inclusive and progressive framework of the Constitution," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, minister of state Ashish Jaiswal, and Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench judges including Nitin Sambre, Anil Kilor, Abhay Mantri and Justice Sanjeev Kalgaonkar of MP High Court, the CJI said he felt deeply honoured to inaugurate the Preamble Park during the Constitution's platinum jubilee year and during his first visit to Nagpur as the country's top judge. "The drafting of our Constitution was not merely a legal process, but a social revolution. Babasaheb worked for over two-and-half years to craft a document that gave voice and dignity to the weakest sections of society," said Gavai. He pointed out how Ambedkar ensured that social, economic, and political justice were embedded in the very Preamble of the Constitution. Visibly emotional during his speech, Gavai said he was proud to have recently unveiled Ambedkar's statue at the Supreme Court, and even more privileged to inaugurate the Preamble Park in Nagpur — the very city where Ambedkar led a historic socio-religious revolution by embracing Buddhism in 1956. Recalling landmark constitutional decisions, Gavai also referred to the Kesavananda Bharati case, which established the doctrine of basic structure. This doctrine states that while the Parliament can amend the Constitution, it cannot alter or destroy the "basic structure" or fundamental features of the Constitution. "Justice Mudholkar, who hailed from Nagpur, was among the first to articulate that the Constitution had a core that could not be altered. This idea was later reinforced by the Supreme Court, ensuring that fundamental rights and democratic principles could never be diluted," he explained. He described Preamble Park as a living monument to constitutional values, built not just to commemorate history but to inspire future generations. "The murals, Ambedkar's quotes, and visual elements in this park will help citizens internalise the ideals of liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity," he said. Gavai lauded Dr Ambedkar School of Law for its exceptional legacy of producing legal luminaries, including two former Chief Justices of India — M Hidayatullah and Sharad Bobde, many chief justices, and eminent lawyers. "This is a unique institution. Though I didn't study here, it feels like home. The college has contributed immensely to India's legal system," Gavai noted. The CJI also paid heartfelt tribute to his father, former Governor and MP RS Gavai, and senior Ambedkarite leader Dadasaheb Kumbhare for their lifelong commitment to social justice and the Ambedkarite movement.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ministers call for review of 'socialist, secular' words in preamble
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said "there is no need for socialism in India", adding "secularism is not the core of our culture". Chouhan's remarks assume significance as RSS Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar. Addressing an event organised at Delhi on 50 years of Emergency, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, "The Preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, the judiciary became lame, then these words were added." Speaking at a programme held in Varanasi to mark 50 years of Emergency, Chouhan said, "'Bharat mein samajwad kee zaroorat nahi hai... Dharmanirapeksh hamaaree sanskrti ka mool nahin hai aur issliye is par zaroor vichaar hona chaahiye' (There is no need for socialism in India... 'Secular' is not the core of our culture and hence, this must be deliberated upon)," he said. In indirect support to RSS' call to review the words "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Constitution, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday also said any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed Saturday that 'socialism' and 'secularism' are "western concepts", and these words should be struck off Constitution. "How can I be secular? I am a hardcore Hindu. A Muslim person is a hardcore Muslim person. How can he be secular?" Sarma said. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar Saturday said the words inserted in Preamble through an amendment during Emergency era were a 'nasoor' (festering wound).
