India Slams Shehbaz Sharif Over Indus Waters Treaty Remarks Amid Heightened Tensions
- MGMMTeam
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
India has strongly pushed back against Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent comments regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), asserting that Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism has rendered the decades-old water-sharing agreement untenable.
Background: India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty
In April 2025, following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir—which killed 26 pilgrims and security personnel—India formally suspended the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty. The historic agreement, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of rivers in the Indus Basin between India and Pakistan. India attributed its decision to growing security threats and Pakistan's alleged role in harboring terror outfits.
Under the treaty, India controls the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). Despite multiple wars, the treaty has largely endured for over six decades.
India’s Rebuke at International Forum
Addressing a plenary session at the UN Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, India’s Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, condemned Sharif’s attempts to “internationalize” the issue.
He stated “Pakistan, which itself has repeatedly violated the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty by supporting terrorism, should not blame India. The treaty was born of goodwill and cooperation—values Pakistan has eroded through continued hostility.”
Singh stressed that the IWT was signed in a different era—before the rise of terrorism, climate change, demographic explosion, and rapid technological advancement—and it now requires serious reevaluation.
Pakistan Responds with Accusations
In his address at the same forum, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of “weaponizing water” and putting millions of Pakistani lives at risk. He claimed that India's suspension of the treaty was unilateral, illegal, and politically motivated.
“India is holding the treaty hostage for political gain. But Pakistan will not allow its water rights to be undermined. We consider this a red line,” Sharif warned.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif echoed these sentiments days later, vowing to “destroy any structure” that attempts to block Pakistan’s rightful share of water under the treaty.
India’s Stand: Dialogue Impossible Without Action on Terrorism
India has reiterated that meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is impossible unless Islamabad takes verifiable steps to dismantle terror infrastructure operating on its soil. Officials in New Delhi argue that Pakistan's duplicity—calling for cooperation on water while fueling terrorism—makes the treaty unworkable.
“The sanctity of any agreement is based on mutual trust. When a country shelters those who kill our citizens, the basis of treaties crumbles,” a senior Indian official was quoted as saying.
Strategic and Environmental Ramifications
Analysts warn that the breakdown of the treaty could have serious consequences for regional stability and food security, especially for Pakistan, which depends heavily on the Indus Basin for irrigation and drinking water. Climate experts also fear that the diplomatic spat could derail joint efforts to manage water and glacier resources in the Himalayas.
At the same time, India is exploring ways to utilize its full rights over eastern rivers and expand hydroelectric projects, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of its broader energy and infrastructure strategy.
Conclusion: A Treaty on the Brink
The Indus Waters Treaty has been hailed as a rare example of India-Pakistan cooperation. But with terrorism, political hostility, and environmental pressures mounting, the treaty is now at a critical juncture. Both countries face increasing international scrutiny, and the next steps could redefine water diplomacy in South Asia.
For peace to prevail, experts urge both nations to decouple essential environmental cooperation from geopolitical tensions and focus on rebuilding trust—starting with firm action against terror networks.
(Sources: NDTV, India Today, Times of India)
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