In India’s first ever UN conference on glaciers held in Dushanbe, India vehemently countered Pakistan’s claims of New Delhi violating the Indus Waters Treaty. Rather, India accused Pakistan’s Islamabad of treaty violations by nurturing cross-border terror.
India’s argument was presented by the Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh on Friday, advocating a re-examination of the treaty obligations in light of changed circumstances and the behavior of Pakistan.
India Refutes Pakistan’s Charges
In the plenary session, Kirti Vardhan Singh categorically ruled out allegations of India violating the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. He accused Pakistan of abusing the UN platform and raising irrelevant references. India criticized those actions and also found them unacceptable, he said.
Kirt Vardhan Singh explained that the treaty was signed in a spirit of goodwill. But that spirit, he noted, has eroded. “Pakistan, which itself violates the treaty, should desist from blaming the breach of the treaty on India,” he said. He added that terrorism from across the border directly impacts the fair implementation of the agreement.
Treaty Obstructed by Terrorism
He asserted that cross-border terrorism disrupts the facility of using treaty provisions. India feels the disruption warrants the reconsideration of treaty obligations. He contended that basic changes have occurred since signing the treaty.
This comment was a direct rebuttal of Pakistan’s assertions during the day. PM Shehbaz Sharif, who addressed the same summit, echoed the military’s assertion that India had crossed a “red line” by placing the treaty in abeyance.
Background behind India’s Action
Indus Waters Treaty was suspended following the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir, which took 26 tourists’ lives. The move came amid escalating tensions and blame on Pakistan for sheltering terrorists.
PM Sharif criticized India for playing with millions of lives for political purposes. Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported him as saying India’s action was “deeply regrettable.”
The recent exchange at the UN spotlights the rising pressure on the Indus Waters Treaty. With both countries accusing one another of violations, the future of the decades-old water-sharing arrangement appears bleaker than ever. India has now made it explicit that any sincere implementation of the treaty has to accompany an end to terrorism.
