KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, May 24: India delivered a strong rebuttal to Pakistan’s allegations on the Indus Water Treaty during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session, accusing Islamabad of spreading disinformation and violating the treaty’s spirit through persistent support for cross-border terrorism.
Speaking at the Arria Formula Meeting on “Protecting Water in Armed Conflict – Protecting Civilian Lives,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to responsible water management while firmly rejecting Pakistan’s claims.
“India entered into the Indus Water Treaty 65 years ago in good faith. It was signed in a spirit of goodwill and friendship,” Harish stated. He emphasized that India has always acted as a responsible upper riparian state and has honored the treaty’s terms despite enduring grave provocations.
In a scathing indictment, Harish accused Pakistan of violating the treaty’s spirit by supporting terrorism and waging wars against India. “Pakistan has violated the spirit of the treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India. In the last four decades, more than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost in terror attacks,” he said.
He also recalled the recent targeted attack on tourists in Pahalgam, terming it a “dastardly” example of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilizing India and endangering civilian lives.
The Indian envoy said that Pakistan’s conduct, marked by state-sponsored terrorism, obstructionist tactics in treaty negotiations, and dissemination of false narratives, has jeopardized peace, religious harmony, and economic progress in the region.
“Pakistan’s state-sponsored cross-border terrorism in India seeks to hold hostage the lives of civilians, religious harmony, and economic prosperity,” Harish asserted, adding that India has displayed “extraordinary patience and magnanimity” in the face of unrelenting hostility.
India’s remarks come amid growing international awareness of water-related conflicts and the need to insulate civilian life from the fallout of armed hostilities. The Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has often been cited as a rare example of cooperation between the two neighbours, despite decades of political and military tension.
