India launched a scathing attack against Pakistan in the United Nations Security Council on Friday and said the Indus Waters Treaty was suspended owing to Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism. India said it was Pakistan that violated the longstanding water treaty.
Calling out Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism, the most recent being the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India charged Pakistan continues to endanger the safety of critical infrastructure and civilian lives.
Clarifying why India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, Parvathaneni Harish, Permanent Representative of India to the UN said at the Arria formula meeting, “India entered into the Indus Water Treaty 65 years ago in good faith. Pakistan has violated its spirit by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India. More than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost, the most recent being the terror attack in Pahalgam. India has shown extraordinary patience and magnanimity throughout. Pakistan’s state-sponsored cross-border terrorism seeks to hold hostage the lives of civilians and economic prosperity,” ANI reported.
Harish said that over 20,000 Indians have been killed in terrorist attacks in the last four decades.
“Technology for dam infrastructure has transformed to ensure safety and efficiency of operations and water use. Some of the old dams are facing serious safety concerns. However, Pakistan has continued to block consistently any changes to this infrastructure and any modifications of the provisions which is permissible under the treaty,” he said
Mr Harish said that in 2012, terrorists even attacked the Tulbul navigation project in Jammu and Kashmir.
“These cynical acts continue to endanger the safety of our projects and the lives of civilians,” he said.
“Third, India has formally asked Pakistan to discuss modifications on several occasions in the past two years. However, Pakistan continues to reject these, and Pakistan’s obstructionist approach continues to prevent the exercise of full utilisation of the legitimate rights by India,” he stated.
“Four, it is against this backdrop that India has finally announced that the treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicentre of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism,” Mr Harish added.
“It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” he said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have increased following the Pahalgam attack.
India, after finding cross-border links to the attack, launched “Operation Sindoor” on May 7 and struck terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
