Lagatar24 Desk
Tajikistan: India strongly rebuked Pakistan’s remarks on the Indus Waters Treaty during a United Nations conference, calling them “unwarranted” and asserting that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan—not India—is the real obstacle to the treaty’s implementation.
India slams misuse of UN platform by Pakistan
Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, speaking at the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for raising the treaty issue at a forum not meant for bilateral matters. “We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemn such an attempt,” Singh said.
Treaty suspension follows Pahalgam attack
India suspended parts of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 civilians. The move was part of a broader diplomatic and strategic response, with India accusing Pakistan of using terrorism as a proxy war tactic.
Pakistan calls suspension ‘weaponisation of water’
On Friday, Shehbaz Sharif termed India’s move a “weaponisation of water” and called the decision “deeply regrettable.” He claimed that Pakistan “will never allow the red line to be crossed” and warned against holding “millions of lives hostage to narrow political gains.”
India highlights treaty violations by Pakistan
Responding on Saturday, Singh emphasised that the treaty was based on mutual goodwill, which has been eroded by persistent terrorism. “There have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the treaty was signed—technological, demographic, climatic, and most critically, the persistent cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,” he stated. He added that these conditions warrant a reassessment of the treaty’s framework.
India urges Pakistan to introspect
India reiterated that Pakistan’s support for terrorism directly undermines the treaty’s spirit and implementation. “Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame for the breach on India,” Singh said, reminding that goodwill and friendship—key tenets of the treaty—must be honoured through actions, not rhetoric.
