India Slams Pakistan After Shehbaz Sharif Rakes Up Indus Waters Treaty Suspension At UN Meet

India on Saturday (31 May) slammed Pakistan for raising Indus Water pact at international forum, saying that Islamabad should stop blaming New Delhi for the treaty's violation as Pakistan's ongoing cross-border terrorism was impeding its implementation.

India's response came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif criticised India in an international forum for suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, reported India Today.

Speaking at a UN glaciers conference in Tajikistan, where Sharif made the comments a, Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said that Pakistan itself was violating the treaty through terrorism.

"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," he said.

After 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-based terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, India imposed a number of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

On Friday (30 May), Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Friday, described the decision to halt the treaty as a “weaponisation of water".

“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,” according to Pakistani media.

“Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” he added.

In response to Sharif's statement, the Union Minister stated that it is a "undeniable fact" that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, necessitating a reevaluation of the treaty's obligations.

He added that these changes include the continuous threat of cross-border terrorism, demographic shifts, climate change, and technological advancements.

"However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame for the breach of the treaty on India," he said.

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