India to ensure Pak does not get a drop of water: Centre
New Delhi: The Centre is preparing a plan to block every drop of Indus-system water flowing from India to Pakistan, home minister Amit Shah told state leaders on Friday as part of a widening response to Tuesday’s Pahalgam terror attack.
At a high-level meeting with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil and senior officials, Shah reviewed the next steps after New Delhi placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. “We will ensure that not a single drop of water reaches Pakistan,” Paatil said after the meeting.
Shah also telephoned all chief ministers, directing them to expel Pakistani nationals whose visas have been revoked under new retaliatory orders. Home Secretary Govind Mohan followed up with state chief secretaries via video-conference, instructing them to identify visa holders and ensure departure by the deadlines below: SAARC visas will expire on April 26, visa-on-arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, conference, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim will expire on April 27 and medical visas will end on April 29. Long-Term Visas issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals, as well as diplomatic and official visas, remain valid; no new visas will be issued for Pakistani citizens.
India formally notified Islamabad on Thursday that the IWT is suspended, citing Pakistan’s “sustained cross-border terrorism” against Jammu & Kashmir. Water resources secretary Debashree Mukherjee conveyed the decision to her Pakistani counterpart Syed Ali Murtaza on Thursday in writing.
