“Indus Waters Treaty Will Remain in Abeyance Until Pakistan Ends Terror Support”: India to UN

India has firmly accused Pakistan of violating the spirit of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by waging three wars and orchestrating thousands of terror attacks against India since the treaty’s inception.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during a session on “Protecting Water in Armed Conflict – Protecting Civilian Lives,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P. Harish, condemned Pakistan for spreading disinformation regarding New Delhi’s decision to put the IWT in abeyance.

India reiterated that it has always acted as a responsible upper riparian state, while Pakistan has consistently breached treaty provisions. Ambassador Harish emphasized that India’s decision to suspend the treaty is conditional on Pakistan’s “credible and irrevocable” end to cross-border terrorism, labelling Pakistan a “global epicentre of terror.”

“In the last four decades, over 20,000 Indian lives have been lost in terror attacks,” Harish stated, highlighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism including the recent terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.

India outlined several key points to justify its position:

• The IWT, signed 65 years ago in a spirit of goodwill and friendship, has been undermined by Pakistan’s hostile acts, including three wars and thousands of terror attacks.

• Pakistan has continuously blocked any efforts to modify the treaty provisions, despite legitimate reasons such as climate change, modern engineering needs, and demographic shifts. Notably, terrorists attacked the Tulbul navigation project in Jammu & Kashmir in 2012.

• Pakistan’s refusal to engage in talks over treaty modifications in the past two years has prevented India from fully exercising its water rights.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has emphasized the necessity of renegotiating the treaty in light of significant changes in the Indus basin, including glacier melt and climate impacts.

During the UNSC debate, Ambassador Harish strongly rebutted Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue and deflect from its role in cross-border terrorism. He called Pakistan’s behavior “grossly hypocritical,” stressing that a nation that fails to distinguish between terrorists and civilians lacks the moral authority to lecture on civilian protection.

India’s firm stance signals a critical juncture in bilateral relations, linking water treaty cooperation directly to Pakistan’s credible cessation of terror sponsorship. The move also aims to expose Pakistan’s ongoing disinformation campaign and reiterate India’s commitment to peaceful resolution only if Pakistan genuinely abandons terror tactics.

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