India Accuses Pakistan of Violating Indus Treaty Through Terrorism

India has strongly accused Pakistan of violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty, citing decades of cross-border terrorism and obstruction in updating critical water infrastructure. The statement comes after India announced the suspension of the 1960 treaty, originally brokered by the World Bank, which governs the sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries between the two countries.

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, P. Harish, said Pakistan had not only failed to uphold the goodwill that underpins the treaty but had actively undermined it through repeated acts of terrorism and refusal to cooperate on infrastructure safety.

“Despite Pakistan’s campaign of disinformation, it is clear that they—not India—are in violation of the treaty,” Harish said during an informal UN Security Council meeting on protecting water resources during armed conflicts. “India has shown extraordinary patience and magnanimity over the years.”

India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance came after a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam last month, which killed 26 civilians. The attackers were linked to Pakistan-based groups. “Pakistan, a global epicentre of terror, must credibly and irrevocably end its support for cross-border terrorism,” Harish said.

He stressed that since the treaty’s signing over six decades ago, significant changes have taken place. These include rising security threats from terror attacks, increased demand for clean energy, the impacts of climate change, and demographic pressures. In light of these developments, India sought to modernize outdated water infrastructure and improve dam safety.

However, Pakistan has repeatedly blocked any discussions or amendments, even though the treaty allows such updates. “Old dams are facing serious safety concerns, and improved technology must be adopted. Yet Pakistan continues to block necessary changes, despite repeated formal requests from India in recent years,” Harish noted.

He also highlighted that while the treaty’s preamble promotes friendship and cooperation, Pakistan has consistently betrayed that spirit by waging three wars and supporting thousands of terrorist attacks on Indian soil. These acts, he said, have directly threatened Indian water projects and the safety of civilians.

“In the last forty years alone, over 20,000 Indian lives have been lost due to terrorism, with the latest being the heinous attack on tourists in Pahalgam. Even critical projects like the Tulbul Navigation Project have been targeted, such as the terrorist strike there in 2012,” Harish said.

India maintains that it is not withdrawing from the treaty altogether but suspending its operation until Pakistan takes concrete steps to end its support for terrorism. The decision marks a significant shift in India’s diplomatic and strategic stance, linking water cooperation to national security.

The future of the Indus Waters Treaty, one of the world’s most successful water-sharing agreements, now hinges on whether Pakistan acts to address India’s concerns about terrorism and cooperation on water resource management.