UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has strongly rejected what it termed “baseless remarks” by India at the United Nations and accused New Delhi of undermining the Indus Waters Treaty while attempting to politicise water issues.

The exchange took place during a high-level UN event marking World Water Day, where Pakistan’s Second Secretary Aleena Majeed exercised her right of reply following remarks by the Indian representative.

During the session, India’s envoy said New Delhi would continue to keep the treaty “in abeyance” until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible action against terrorism, while also arguing that evolving technological, environmental and demographic factors necessitate revisions to the decades-old agreement.

Responding to the claims, Majeed said she was compelled to respond to India’s unfounded assertions, stressing that the treaty, signed in 1960, has withstood wars, crises and prolonged tensions between the two countries, including disputes over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

She said India’s unilateral move last April to place the Indus Waters treaty in abeyance represents a serious violation of its legal framework, noting that no provision allows for unilateral suspension or modification.

Majeed warned that such actions amount to the “weaponisation of water” for political purposes, threatening the livelihoods of millions dependent on the river system.

Referring to proceedings at the Court of Arbitration, she noted that a 2025 supplemental award reaffirmed that the treaty remains in force, with binding dispute resolution mechanisms intact. She urged India to immediately resume full implementation of the agreement.

The Pakistani diplomat also rejected allegations of terrorism as “entirely baseless,” calling them an attempt to divert attention from India’s own actions, including alleged cross-border activities and violence in the region.

Reiterating Islamabad’s position, she said Pakistan remains committed to international law and the faithful implementation of treaty obligations, while rejecting all attempts to use water as a political tool.