At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India delivered a strong rebuke to Pakistan, accusing it of masking its support for terrorism behind the guise of civilian protection. This forceful intervention occurred during a UNSC Arria Formula Meeting focused on "Protecting Water in Armed Conflict - Protecting Civilian Lives." India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, directly refuted Pakistan's claims regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and condemned its obstructionist approach to necessary treaty amendments.

India's statement marked its first at the UNSC since the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, which followed the attack. Ambassador Harish asserted that Pakistan has consistently hindered permissible modifications to aging water infrastructure, despite formal requests from India, raising concerns about the safety of some older dams.

Harish emphasized that Pakistan has violated the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty through decades of hostility, including waging wars and sponsoring numerous terror attacks on Indian soil. These attacks, he stated, have resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 civilians in the past four decades. He specifically highlighted Pakistan's deliberate targeting of Indian border villages, which led to more than 20 civilian fatalities and over 80 injuries, including the shelling of religious sites like Gurudwaras and temples, as well as medical facilities.

Furthermore, Ambassador Harish criticized Pakistan for failing to differentiate between terrorists and civilians. He pointed out the attendance of Pakistani officials at the funerals of terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor as evidence of this blurring of lines. India has also accused Pakistan of using its civilian population as a cover to promote terrorism.

India firmly asserted that protecting civilians should not be used as a justification for shielding UN-designated terrorists. Ambassador Harish urged the international community to unite in a zero-tolerance stance against terrorism and to hold accountable those who sponsor and defend it. He stated that India has experienced decades of Pakistani-sponsored terrorist attacks, ranging from the 2008 Mumbai attacks to the recent "barbaric mass murder" of tourists in Pahalgam. He stressed that the victims of Pakistani terrorism are predominantly civilians, as the objective is to undermine India's prosperity, progress, and morale.

In light of these persistent issues, India has indicated that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ceases its support for cross-border terrorism. India maintains that it is Pakistan that is in violation of the Indus Water Treaty due to its actions.