India Exposes Pakistan's Violations of Indus Waters Treaty in UN Security Council
- India accused Pakistan of violating the spirit of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty by supporting terrorism and waging wars against India.
- India responded to Pakistan’s disinformation at the UN Security Council regarding the treaty.
- India decided to hold the treaty in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
- Over the past four decades, more than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost to terror attacks attributed to Pakistan-sponsored groups.
India strongly accused Pakistan of violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty by supporting cross-border terrorism during a statement delivered by its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish.
Speaking at the UN Security Council’s Arria Formula meeting on 'Protecting Water in Armed Conflict: Protecting Civilian Lives', organized by the Permanent Mission of Slovenia on Friday, Harish refuted Pakistan’s disinformation campaign concerning the treaty and highlighted Islamabad’s ongoing hostile actions.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, was intended as a framework for cooperation and water-sharing between India and Pakistan. However, the treaty’s spirit has been repeatedly undermined by Pakistan through three wars and numerous terror attacks on Indian soil.
Harish emphasized that more than 20,000 Indians have lost their lives due to terrorism over the past four decades, with the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir where 26 civilians were killed being the latest example. In response to this attack, India announced it would hold the treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ceases its support for terrorism.
Harish firmly rejected Pakistan’s claims at the UN, stating that India has consistently acted responsibly as an upper riparian state. He noted that India has sought to discuss necessary modifications to the treaty on several occasions in the past two years, but Pakistan has refused to engage.
These modifications are vital to address evolving challenges such as increased security threats, climate change, demographic shifts, and the need for clean energy. Technological advancements have also improved dam safety and efficiency, yet Pakistan has blocked any updates or permissible changes, endangering infrastructure and civilian safety. The ambassador recalled the 2012 terrorist attack on the Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir as evidence of these risks.
Highlighting the human cost of terrorism, Harish described how civilians have borne the brunt of Pakistan-sponsored violence, which aims to destabilize India’s progress and harmony. He called Pakistan’s participation in discussions on protecting civilians hypocritical, given its failure to distinguish between terrorists and innocent people. During an earlier UNSC debate, Harish denounced Pakistan’s grossly hypocritical stance and condemned its sponsorship of terror attacks including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the recent Pahalgam incident.
The remarks came in the wake of increased tensions following the Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory 'Operation Sindoor', where Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in early May. Pakistan responded with attacks on Indian military bases, but hostilities ended after talks between military officials from both sides on May 10.
Despite this ceasefire, India maintains that Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism remains the core obstacle to peace and cooperation, including on water-sharing matters. Harish made clear that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible steps to end state-sponsored terrorism.
India’s strong stance at the United Nations underscores the complex challenges of managing shared resources amid regional security tensions and sends a firm message that violations of international agreements will not be tolerated.
