India Escalates UN Confrontation with Pakistan Amid Terrorism Accusations and Water Treaty Dispute
India sharply criticized Pakistan at the United Nations on Tuesday, escalating tensions after Islamabad raised concerns regarding the Kashmir issue and the Indus Waters Treaty. Addressing the UN on its 80th anniversary, India’s ambassador, Parvathaneni Harish, asserted that nations supporting cross-border terrorism “must bear a serious cost.”
Harish condemned states that undermine “good neighbourliness” and international relations through the promotion of cross-border terrorism, citing a recent attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. He referenced a Security Council statement from April 25th, emphasizing the need to hold accountable those involved in the “reprehensible act of terrorism”—including perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors.
In response to the attack, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a targeted operation against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to Harish, the operation was “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” achieving its objectives before a cessation of military activities was agreed upon at Pakistan’s request.
The Indian ambassador drew a stark contrast between the two nations, accusing Pakistan of being plagued by terrorism and economic instability. “The Indian subcontinent offers a stark contrast in terms of progress, prosperity, and development models,” Harish stated. “On the one hand, there is India—a mature democracy, a surging economy, and a pluralistic and inclusive society. At the other extreme is Pakistan—steeped in fanaticism and terrorism, and a serial borrower from the IMF.”
Harish further emphasized the importance of zero tolerance for terrorism, stating that it was inappropriate for a member of the Security Council to “offer homilies while indulging in practices that are unacceptable to the international community.”
The exchange followed Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, raising the dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty. New Delhi had previously suspended the treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. Dar argued that Jammu and Kashmir remains a long-standing dispute on the UN Security Council’s agenda, an internationally recognized disputed territory whose future should be determined by UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. He asserted that India’s suspension of the treaty was “illegal and unilateral,” threatening the livelihoods of 240 million Pakistanis who depend on the water supply.
Dar highlighted the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty as a successful example of dialogue and diplomacy, but lamented India’s decision to suspend it, calling it “most unfortunate and regrettable.”
The escalating rhetoric at the UN underscores the deep-seated tensions between India and Pakistan, with both nations accusing the other of destabilizing actions and failing to uphold international norms.
