Latest news with #InternationalConferenceonGlaciers'Preservation
India.com
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Stop Blaming, Look At Your Actions: India Hits Back At Pakistan Over Indus Waters Treaty Remark
New Delhi: In a strong response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's comments on the Indus Waters Treaty, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh at a UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan, said that Islamabad should stop blaming India for the treaty's breach. Singh asserted that persistent cross-border terrorism from Pakistan is hampering the implementation of the treaty. "We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum," Singh said. He added that it is an "undeniable fact" that fundamental changes in circumstances since the treaty was signed require a reassessment of its obligations. Singh pointed out that technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change, and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism have significantly altered the context in which the treaty operates. "However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with the ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions," he said. The Indian government had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to Pakistan-based terrorists killing 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had termed the decision a "weaponisation of water" and an "unilateral and illegal decision." At the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said, 'Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed." Singh's remarks come as a strong rebuke to Pakistan's attempts to internationalize the issue and shift the blame for the treaty's breach onto India. "However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame for the breach of the treaty on India," he said.
News18
8 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
'Desist From Blaming Us': India Snubs Pakistan At UN Meet Over Shehbaz Sharif's IWT Remark
Last Updated: India ripped Pakistan at a UN meeting, stating that the neighbours violated the Indus Waters Treaty through terrorism and should not blame India for putting it in abeyance. A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Indus Waters Treaty at a UN meet, New Delhi on Saturday ripped Islamabad over 'unwarranted references" to the treaty, stating that the neighbour itself violated it through terrorism. India further underlined that Pakistan should stop blaming it for the 'breach" of the 1960 treaty, as terrorism emanating from the other side of the border interfered with the treaty's implementation. India had put in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, a huge non-military step taken a day after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians on religious lines. India Rips Pakistan At UN Meet Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh's remarks came while addressing a plenary session of the first UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan's Dushanbe on Saturday. Shehbaz Sharif had raked up the Indus Waters Treaty a day ago on this platform, which was snubbed by India during its address. 'We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt," Singh said. The Minister pointed to an 'undeniable fact" that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the treaty was signed in 1960, and it requires a reassessment of the treaty's obligations. 'These changes include technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change, and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism," he said. Singh also referred to the treaty's preamble and said that it was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship and that honouring the treaty in good faith is essential. 'However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with the ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India," he said. Shehbaz Sharif Raked Up Indus Waters Treaty At Global Forum Addressing the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Friday, the Pakistani Prime Minister said that his nation would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the treaty in abeyance, which he alleged, endangered millions of lives 'for narrow political gains". 'India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable," Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Sharif as saying. Pakistan has earlier described India's suspension of the treaty as an 'Act of War", with several of its politicians, including sitting and former ministers, issuing brazen threats to India on the matter. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 with the World Bank as a guarantor. The agreement regulates the sharing of the waters of the Indus River system between the two neighbours. (With PTI inputs) First Published: June 01, 2025, 09:42 IST
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Putting Blame On...": India Slams Shehbaz Sharif For Indus Waters Treaty Remark
New Delhi: India has said that Pakistan should stop blaming it for the breach of the Indus Waters Treaty, as the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from its soil is interfering with the treaty's implementation. Addressing the plenary session of the first UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan's Dushanbe on Friday, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that Pakistan itself was violating the treaty through terrorism. "We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt," he said. Mr Singh said it is an undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, which requires a reassessment of the treaty's obligations. These changes include technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism, he said. The minister said that the treaty's preamble states it was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, and that honouring the treaty in good faith is essential. "However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with the ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. "Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India," he said. At the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. "India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable," Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Mr Sharif as saying. Following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, India announced the suspension of the treaty as part of several punitive measures against Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan with the World Bank as a signatory, governs the sharing of the Indus River system's waters between the two countries. The three-day UN conference on glaciers, which ends on Saturday, aims to highlight the important role of glaciers in maintaining global ecological balance and addressing water-related challenges. The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations.
India Today
10 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Stop blaming others: India rips Pak at UN meet over Indus Waters Treaty remark
A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raked up India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty at a global forum, New Delhi on Saturday hit back, calling it an unwarranted reference and asserting that Islamabad should stop blaming India for the treaty's breach, as persistent cross-border terrorism from Pakistan was hampering its a session of a UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan, where the Pakistan Prime Minister made the remarks, Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said that Pakistan itself was violating the treaty through are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt," he said. The suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty was among a series of punitive measures India took against Pakistan after Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. New Delhi has consistently accused Islamabad of supporting and facilitating cross-border terrorism as part of a proxy war against the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called the decision to suspend the treaty a 'weaponisation of water' and 'India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable,' according to Pakistani of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,' he Union Minister countered these statements on Saturday, pointing out that it is an "undeniable fact" that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, which requires a reassessment of the treaty's obligations. These changes include technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism, he added."However, the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame for the breach of the treaty on India," he minister said that the treaty's preamble states it was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, and that honouring the treaty in good faith is InTrending Reel
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan violated Indus Water Treaty: India at Glacier Conference in Tajikistan
New Delhi: India strongly objects and condemns Pakistan's attempt to use the International Glacier Conference in Tajikistan 'to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum,' said Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state for environment, forest and climate change during his address at the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday. This is the first time India and Pakistan exchanged their views on the Indus Water Treaty at an international forum after India on April 23 decided to keep the treaty in abeyance following a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. 'These Himalayan glaciers feed our critical rivers - such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus. It is undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in the circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was executed and that requires a reassessment of the obligations under the Treaty,' Singh said while adding that the changes include technological advancement, demographic changes, climate change, and the threat of persistent cross border terrorism. 'The treaty in its preamble says that it is concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. The obligation to honour the treaty in the good faith is fundamental to it. However, the unrelenting cross border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions. Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India,' Singh said during his address. At the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. 'India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable,' Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Sharif as saying. HT had reported on May 3 that the Indus river basin, among the most vulnerable regions globally to climate change, is experiencing dramatically different impacts across its eastern and western tributaries, recent scientific research has shown, potentially making previous agreements on sharing of waters between India and Pakistan irrelevant. Recent papers have now found that western tributaries like the Indus, Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab are fed by glaciers with more stored water, while eastern tributaries including the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej draw from significantly lower glacier stored water reserves. Crucially, the pace of glacial melt is higher in the Western Himalayas that feed eastern rivers compared to the Upper Indus basin. This east-west disparity challenges the fundamental assumptions of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which allocated rivers based on historically stable flow patterns. 'From an entirely scientific perspective, the water sharing practices need to be revisited in view of climate change that can alter flow and increase disasters downstream,' Anil Kulkarni, distinguished visiting scientist and glaciologist from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had said. India also emphasised that retreat of glaciers is not only a warning but an immediate reality with far-reaching implications for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of billions of people. Kirti Vardhan Singh addressed the Plenary Session of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation on Saturday. Highlighting the global and regional consequences of glacial retreat, the minister underscored that the phenomenon is accelerating, with disproportionate impacts on mountain regions such as the Himalayas. He reiterated India's deep-rooted concern, as a country intrinsically connected to the Himalayan ecosystem, and outlined a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at glacial monitoring and climate adaptation, a statement from the environment ministry said. Singh highlighted that India is undertaking strategic actions under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) - a key component of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) - as well as the establishment of a Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies, designed to advance research and monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region. 'India is leveraging advanced Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to systematically monitor changes in glacier mass, extent, and dynamics. These efforts are further strengthened through coordinated research by key national institutions, including the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE),' Singh said. These initiatives are crucial to advancing scientific understanding of glacier systems and supporting data-driven policy formulation for the sustainable management of India's water resources, he added. '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,' Singh informed. Singh stressed India's commitment to equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) in international climate action. He emphasised that while South Asia contributes minimally to global cumulative emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
