On Saturday, India slammed Pakistan for making “unwarranted references” a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on a global platform. India emphasised that Pakistan should stop blaming it for violations of the treaty, highlighting that ongoing cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan is obstructing its proper implementation.
The confrontation took place at the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, where Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh accused Pakistan of misusing the scientific forum to bring up issues outside its intended scope.
“India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan’s attempt to use the International Glacier Conference to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,” HT quoted Singh as saying during his address at the plenary session.
The diplomatic row follows India’s decision on April 23 to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Singh mentioned that significant changes since the treaty’s inception ,such as technological progress, demographic shifts, climate change, and ongoing cross-border terrorism, warrant a reassessment of its obligations.
Cross-border terrorism from Pakistan
“The treaty’s preamble says it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with our ability to implement the treaty as per its provisions,” Singh added, noting that Pakistan itself violates the treaty while holding India responsible for breaches.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the initial attack on Friday, stating that Pakistan would not permit India to cross “red lines” by suspending the treaty and “endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.” According to Dawn newspaper, Sharif described India’s move as “unilateral and illegal”.
The dispute has taken on added urgency due to new scientific evidence indicating that climate change is significantly transforming the hydrology of the Indus basin. According to HT on May 3, recent studies reveal that the western tributaries, such as the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab, are sustained by glaciers with considerably more stored water. In contrast, the eastern tributaries, including the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej, allocated to India, may experience reduced flow.
Crucially, glacial melt is accelerating more rapidly in the Western Himalayas, which feed the eastern rivers, than in the Upper Indus basin. This east-west imbalance undermines key assumptions of the treaty, which was based on historically stable river flow patterns.
Significantly, glacial melt is occurring more rapidly in the Western Himalayas, which supply the eastern rivers, than in the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges the fundamental assumptions of the treaty, which was based on historically consistent river flow patterns.
The renowned visiting scientist and glaciologist from the Indian Institute of Science Anil Kulkarni, in the May 3 report, said, “From an entirely scientific perspective, water-sharing practices need revisiting given climate change can alter flow and increase downstream disasters.”
According to HT, Singh mentioned, “India has strengthened disaster preparedness in the Himalayan region through improved early warning systems and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Regional cooperation was underscored as vital for strengthening resilience, improving data-sharing frameworks, and fostering coordinated responses to the challenges facing mountain ecosystems.”
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