India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistan's remarks at the United Nations, asserting that cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) cannot continue when "cross-border terrorism" is used as an "instrument of state policy". It also reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir "has always been, is, and will remain" an integral and inalienable part of India.
The remarks were made by India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, during the High-Level Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Natural Resources Governance: the Foundation of Peace, Security and Prosperity.
Exercising India's right of reply, Parvathaneni said New Delhi was responding after Pakistan "misused" the debate to advance a "false narrative".
"Our position on the Indus Water Treaty remains clear and consistent. Cooperation on the basis of mutual trust and goodwill cannot be expected when cross-border terrorism is regularly deployed as an instrument of state policy," Parvathaneni said.
His remarks came after Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, accused India of "weaponising water" by placing the IWT in abeyance, calling the decision "illegal" and alleging it endangered the livelihoods of more than 240 million Pakistanis.
The World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, governs the sharing of the six rivers of the Indus basin between India and Pakistan. India placed the treaty in abeyance following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, maintaining that cooperation under the agreement cannot continue amid cross-border terrorism.
"As for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, it has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India. This is the constitutional and legal reality that Pakistan deliberately chooses to ignore," the Indian envoy said while exercising India's right of reply during the UN Security Council open debate.
"The only outstanding issue with regard to Jammu and Kashmir is the naked aggression and illegal occupation of India's sovereign territory by Pakistan. Instead of pointing fingers at India, Pakistan would serve itself and its people far better by putting its own house in order," he added.
During the debate, Parvathaneni also underscored the need for responsible governance of natural resources, warning that the "illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources can, in certain situations, contribute to the financing of armed groups and prolong conflict."
He stressed that natural resources should serve as an engine of development and prosperity for sovereign states, and called for transparent, accountable and nationally owned governance, responsible supply chains, greater transparency, and stronger international cooperation to curb the illicit exploitation of natural resources.
(With inputs from PTI)