New Delhi: India strongly rebuked Pakistan at the United Nations on Saturday, accusing it of spreading disinformation about the Indus Waters Treaty and continuing its support for cross-border terrorism. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, stated that the 65-year-old treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan ends its state-sponsored terrorism.
This stern response came after the Pakistani envoy raised concerns at the UN, accusing India of turning water into a “weapon of war.” India had suspended the treaty on April 23, a day after a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam claimed 26 lives. Investigations revealed clear cross-border links to the attack.
Ambassador Harish firmly countered Pakistan’s claims, saying:
“India has always acted responsibly as an upper riparian state. But the repeated violations by Pakistan—three wars and thousands of terror attacks—betray the spirit in which the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960.”
Highlighting the impact of terrorism, Harish noted that over 20,000 Indians have lost their lives in such attacks over the past four decades, calling it a result of Pakistan’s state-backed cross-border terrorism that endangers civilian lives, economic progress, and religious harmony.
He outlined four key points:
Breach of Trust: India entered the treaty in good faith, but Pakistan’s repeated hostilities—including war and terrorism—violated its core principles.
Changed Realities: Over the past 65 years, rising security threats, climate change, demographic shifts, and clean energy needs have altered the context. Meanwhile, Pakistan has blocked any modernization or modification efforts despite safety concerns in dam infrastructure.
Pakistan’s Obstructionism: India formally proposed discussions on treaty modifications multiple times in the last two years, but Pakistan consistently rejected these initiatives, denying India its legitimate rights under the treaty.
Call for Action: India has declared the treaty in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism. “It is Pakistan that remains in violation of the treaty,” Harish concluded.
Tensions have been running high between the two nations following the Pahalgam attack. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan retaliated with a large-scale missile and drone strike, which was successfully countered by Indian forces. India responded by striking airfields in Pakistan. Hostilities ceased with a ceasefire agreement on May 10.
India’s message to the world at the UN was clear: the safety, sovereignty, and peace of its people cannot be compromised—and terrorism, in any form, will not be tolerated.
