India Rebukes Pakistan Over Indus Waters Treaty at UN Glacier Conference

India News Network | 2025-06-01

India Rebukes Pakistan Over Indus Waters Treaty at UN Glacier Conference

Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh countered Pak PM's renmarks

India accuses Pakistan of misusing UN glacier forum after Shehbaz Sharif criticises Indus Waters Treaty suspension amid terrorism and climate concerns.

India and Pakistan Clash Over Indus Waters Treaty at UN Conference
India has strongly criticised Pakistan at a United Nations conference in Tajikistan, rejecting allegations over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and accusing Islamabad of undermining the treaty through cross-border terrorism.

Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh, speaking on Saturday at the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Dushanbe, described Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s comments as “unwarranted” and “misuse of the forum.”

India Responds to “Weaponisation of Water” Claim
The exchange follows remarks made by Prime Minister Sharif a day earlier, in which he described India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as a “weaponisation of water” and a threat to millions of lives. He criticised the move as unilateral and illegal.

Sharif told delegates: “India’s decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty... is deeply regrettable. Pakistan will never allow the red line to be crossed.”

In response, Singh said Pakistan should not shift blame, stating: “Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame for the breach of the treaty on India.”

The Indian minister reiterated New Delhi’s stance that sustained cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan has disrupted the implementation of the 1960 treaty.

Treaty Suspended After Deadly Attack
India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty came in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April, which killed 26 civilians. India holds Pakistan-based groups responsible for the attack and announced several retaliatory measures, including the treaty’s suspension.

Signed in 1960 with the World Bank as a guarantor, the Indus Waters Treaty governs the distribution of the waters of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. The agreement is widely considered one of the world’s most successful water-sharing accords, having survived multiple military conflicts between the two neighbours.

Call for Treaty Reassessment
Singh also called for a broader reassessment of the treaty’s provisions in light of significant changes since its inception, including climate change, demographic shifts, and technological advances.
“It is an undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, which requires a reassessment of the treaty’s obligations,” Singh said.
He added that the treaty, according to its preamble, was based on goodwill and mutual cooperation. “Honouring the treaty in good faith is essential,” he said.

Glaciers, Water, and Security
The conference, attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations, focused on the global importance of glaciers in water management and climate resilience.
The Himalayas and surrounding regions, including the Hindu Kush, feed the Indus River and are undergoing accelerated glacial melt due to rising global temperatures.

Professor Anjal Prakash, a climate policy expert and contributor to multiple UN climate reports, noted that the Indus Basin is highly dependent on glacier-fed flows. “Melting glaciers lead to increased flood risk initially, followed by severe water shortages,” he said in a separate interview.

Political and Economic Ramifications
The treaty’s suspension has raised concerns about regional water security, particularly for Pakistan’s agriculture-dependent provinces such as Punjab and Sindh. Analysts say that limiting Indus water flows could have serious economic consequences for Pakistan, where agriculture accounts for roughly one-fourth of the national GDP.

Prakash noted that India, as the upper riparian country, may have strategic reasons for pausing the treaty. “Blocking its flow will help counter Punjab-based politics in Pakistan that wields terrorism as a strategic weapon,” he said.

However, he cautioned that while India might face international scrutiny, especially from countries like China, it retains the legal basis to reassess the treaty, particularly if Pakistan is seen as violating its terms.

Context: A Treaty Under Strain
The Indus Waters Treaty has long been a symbol of fragile cooperation between India and Pakistan. While it has remained in force for over six decades, it has come under increasing strain in recent years due to security concerns, environmental pressures, and shifting geopolitical dynamics.

India has previously called for revising the treaty, arguing that its current terms disproportionately favour Pakistan. Experts have also highlighted that its structure does not sufficiently account for contemporary environmental risks such as glacier melt and monsoon variability.

The United Nations glacier conference was intended as a platform for cooperation on climate and water security. But the sharp exchanges between India and Pakistan underscored how even global climate discussions are increasingly intersecting with longstanding geopolitical tensions.

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