Patil Reiterates Govt Stand on Indus Treaty, Hits Back at Pak

India has kept the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in the interest of the country and Pakistan's letters on the matter will not change the country's decision, Jal Shakti minister CR Patil said Thursday, when asked if India is considering renegotiating the water-sharing pact.

- Zia Haq

NEW DELHI:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to put the treaty on hold and the move will "benefit the country," he said at a briefing. Asked if India responded to a series of letters written by Pakistan on the matter, Patil said, "Writing letters is a natural process. To write letters, replying etc...these things keep happening. But because letters were written...there is no forward movement...there is no change."

On a question if India had stopped water to Pakistan, Patil said: "In one line, I can say, water isn't going anywhere."

Slamming Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto for his recent statements, the minister said: "Whatever Bilawal (Bhutto) has to say, that is his question, he has to do his politics. He had also issued threats that if water stops, then blood will flow. We are not scared by threats from jackals."

India announced suspending the bilateral treaty with Pakistan a day after terrorists killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

Bhutto said on June 23 that his country would wage a war with India if the latter denied Pakistan its share of water.