India has firmly rejected Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s allegations regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, asserting that Islamabad’s continued support for cross-border terrorism disrupts the treaty’s execution. Speaking at the UN conference on glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that Pakistan’s accusations were baseless and politically motivated.
“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 condemned such an attempt,” Singh declared during the plenary session.
India Demands Reassessment of Treaty Amid Changed Circumstances
Kirti Vardhan Singh also highlighted that the context in which the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 has significantly changed. He pointed to technological progress, demographic shifts, climate change, and, most crucially, persistent cross-border terrorism as grounds for reassessing the treaty’s obligations.
The minister emphasised that the treaty’s preamble was founded on goodwill and mutual respect. “However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with the ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions,” Singh stated.
He added, “Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India.”
Pakistan Accuses India of Jeopardising Lives Over Politics
Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the same UN forum, claimed India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty for political leverage. “India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable,” Pakistani daily Dawn quoted Sharif as saying.
He further warned that Pakistan would not tolerate any “red line” being crossed by India in relation to the treaty, alleging that New Delhi was endangering millions of lives for “narrow political gains.”
India Suspended Treaty After Pahalgam Terror Attack
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. The move formed part of a broader package of punitive measures against Pakistan, aimed at pressuring Islamabad to rein in terror groups operating from its soil.
UN Glacier Conference Seeks Global Ecological Solutions
The three-day UN conference on glaciers, attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations, aimed to emphasise the importance of glaciers in maintaining ecological balance and ensuring water security across the globe. The conference concluded on Saturday.
