Latest news with #ParvathaneniHarish
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - India and Pakistan's ‘water and blood' wars could spark global catastrophe
'Pakistan has violated the spirit of the treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India,' said India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, last Friday, referring to the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. India suspended the World Bank-brokered agreement the day after gunmen killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists at Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan also claims Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi blames Islamabad for harboring militants who staged the April 22 attack, as Harish noted in his remarks at a U.N. Security Council Arria-formula meeting titled 'Protecting Water in Armed Conflict — Protecting Civilian Lives.' Pakistan has denied responsibility. By India's count, Pakistani terror attacks have taken more than 20,000 Indian lives in the past four decades. 'It is against this backdrop that India has finally announced that the treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicenter of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism,' Harish announced. 'It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.' India's action is the first-ever suspension of the pact. The treaty, 'a rare beacon of cooperation between India and Pakistan,' allocates waters in the Indus basin. India got control of the eastern rivers of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. Pakistan controls western rivers, the Chenab, the Indus and Jhelum. The treaty is generous to Pakistan, allocating to it about 70 percent of the total water carried by the Indus River System. Water stoppages pose a dire threat to Pakistan. Rivers covered by the treaty provide almost 80 percent of its water for drinking and irrigation. 'Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs,' a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson said on April 25. 'Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an act of war and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power,' the Pakistani spokesperson continued. 'Complete spectrum of national power' is a significant phrase, given that Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state. Nuclear war is always on the menu. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 against known terrorist sites in Pakistan, and for four days the two nuclear-armed powers hit each other with air, drone and missile strikes. After India targeted the Nur Khan and Mushaf airbases, both close to Pakistan's nuclear weapons installations, an alarmed Trump administration intervened and brokered a ceasefire. Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told CNN on May 12 that the cease-fire could fall apart 'if the water issue is not resolved.' India currently does not have the ability to deny water to Pakistan, because its upstream dams have only limited storage capacity. The most New Delhi can do with the current infrastructure is affect the timing of water flows to Pakistan. New Delhi's goal is to prevent any water from leaving India, however, and the country is planning to improve its system of dams so that they do not have to release water into Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained a hardline stance. 'Water and blood cannot flow together,' Modi has said. 'Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot happen simultaneously.' Most analysts believe that Pakistan's forces got the better of India in the four days of fighting. Whether that is true or not, Pakistan's army came out ahead at home. 'Rather than deterring its rival, India precipitated a retaliation that ended up burnishing the Pakistani military's reputation and boosting its domestic popularity,' wrote Georgetown University's Aqil Shah in Foreign Affairs. So expect more hostilities. Shah's piece is titled 'The Next War Between India and Pakistan.' There will be one for sure. Operation Sindoor, Modi said, had 'drawn a new line under the fight against terrorism.' 'This is a new phase, a new normal. If there is a terror attack on India, we will give a jaw-breaking response.' Modi has recently said that Operation Sindoor has not yet ended. The conflict could spread to include another nuclear weapons state. Beijing, for instance, could intervene by blocking water flows into India. The headwaters of the Indus are in China. So are the headwaters of the Brahmaputra. 'This could well overshadow any previous, containable conflict between India and Pakistan,' writes Gregory Copley, the president of the International Strategic Studies Association and editor-in-chief of Defense and Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, on the next war. 'It could be the big one.' Gordon G. Chang is the author of 'Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America' and 'The Coming Collapse of China.'. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
India and Pakistan's ‘water and blood' wars could spark global catastrophe
'Pakistan has violated the spirit of the treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India,' said India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, last Friday, referring to the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. India suspended the World Bank-brokered agreement the day after gunmen killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists at Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan also claims Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi blames Islamabad for harboring militants who staged the April 22 attack, as Harish noted in his remarks at a U.N. Security Council Arria-formula meeting titled 'Protecting Water in Armed Conflict — Protecting Civilian Lives.' Pakistan has denied responsibility. By India's count, Pakistani terror attacks have taken more than 20,000 Indian lives in the past four decades. 'It is against this backdrop that India has finally announced that the treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicenter of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism,' Harish announced. 'It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.' India's action is the first-ever suspension of the pact. The treaty, 'a rare beacon of cooperation between India and Pakistan,' allocates waters in the Indus basin. India got control of the eastern rivers of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. Pakistan controls western rivers, the Chenab, the Indus and Jhelum. The treaty is generous to Pakistan, allocating to it about 70 percent of the total water carried by the Indus River System. Water stoppages pose a dire threat to Pakistan. Rivers covered by the treaty provide almost 80 percent of its water for drinking and irrigation. 'Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs,' a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson said on April 25. 'Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an act of war and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power,' the Pakistani spokesperson continued. 'Complete spectrum of national power' is a significant phrase, given that Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state. Nuclear war is always on the menu. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 against known terrorist sites in Pakistan, and for four days the two nuclear-armed powers hit each other with air, drone and missile strikes. After India targeted the Nur Khan and Mushaf airbases, both close to Pakistan's nuclear weapons installations, an alarmed Trump administration intervened and brokered a ceasefire. Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told CNN on May 12 that the cease-fire could fall apart 'if the water issue is not resolved.' India currently does not have the ability to deny water to Pakistan, because its upstream dams have only limited storage capacity. The most New Delhi can do with the current infrastructure is affect the timing of water flows to Pakistan. New Delhi's goal is to prevent any water from leaving India, however, and the country is planning to improve its system of dams so that they do not have to release water into Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained a hardline stance. 'Water and blood cannot flow together,' Modi has said. 'Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot happen simultaneously.' Most analysts believe that Pakistan's forces got the better of India in the four days of fighting. Whether that is true or not, Pakistan's army came out ahead at home. 'Rather than deterring its rival, India precipitated a retaliation that ended up burnishing the Pakistani military's reputation and boosting its domestic popularity,' wrote Georgetown University's Aqil Shah in Foreign Affairs. So expect more hostilities. Shah's piece is titled 'The Next War Between India and Pakistan.' There will be one for sure. Operation Sindoor, Modi said, had 'drawn a new line under the fight against terrorism.' 'This is a new phase, a new normal. If there is a terror attack on India, we will give a jaw-breaking response.' Modi has recently said that Operation Sindoor has not yet ended. The conflict could spread to include another nuclear weapons state. Beijing, for instance, could intervene by blocking water flows into India. The headwaters of the Indus are in China. So are the headwaters of the Brahmaputra. 'This could well overshadow any previous, containable conflict between India and Pakistan,' writes Gregory Copley, the president of the International Strategic Studies Association and editor-in-chief of Defense and Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, on the next war. 'It could be the big one.' Gordon G. Chang is the author of 'Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America' and 'The Coming Collapse of China.'.
Arabian Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Growing Islamic Terrorism Is A Global Phenomenon
By Nantoo Banerjee Pakistan is back in the business of pushing Jihadists into India. It is the same old story. Last week, barely 12 days after the announcement of a ceasefire on 10 May, Pakistani terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar district killed an Indian soldier in an encounter with the security forces. When were those Pakistani Jihadists pushed to J&K – before, or after the May 10th ceasefire? Has the Pakistani deep state taken seriously India's warning that the country may resume military attacks on Pakistan if the latter fails to keep a tight rein on its Islamist terror outfits to prevent attacks on India? Ironically, the latest Pakistani terror attack took place at a time when India's all-party delegations of Parliamentarians were out to campaign on 'India's Operation Sindoor Global Outreach' to tell the countries across the world that Pakistan only thrives on terrorism. Last week, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that over 20,000 Indians have been killed in terrorist attacks in the last four decades. 'Pakistan state-sponsored cross-border terrorism in India seeks to hold hostage the lives of civilians, religious harmony, and economic prosperity,' he said. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, there were reports of as many as 87 incidents of killing involving 273 terrorists across India since January, this year alone. It provided data specifically for Jammu and Kashmir, showing 18 incidents of killing and involvements of 25 insurgents cum extremists. In 2024, India experienced 61 terrorist attacks in J&K. The most agonizing part is that almost all Islamist terror attacks on India are sponsored by the state of Pakistan and its agencies. These attacks include the one on India's Parliament on December 13, 2001, by five Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Will the state of Pakistan ever rein in its Islamist terror outfits? Most unlikely. The state of Pakistan and its military are said to be deeply linked with the grooming of terrorists and helping them sneak into India through the complex and highly militarized boundary, covering approximately 3,323 kilometres, between the two countries. The India-Pakistan border covers two parts of India. They include India's states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and Pakistan provinces of Sindh and Punjab. The border also includes Sir Creek, a tidal estuary in the Rann of Kutch. The Line of Control (LOC), established in 1972 after the Indo-Pak War, divides the territory into Indian-administered Kashmir (J&K and Ladakh) and Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. The India-Pakistan border has always remained a source of high tension and conflict, with numerous cross-border incidents, military standoffs, and wars. The border remains one of the world's most dangerous international boundaries with Pakistan reported to be constantly pushing trained terrorists into India to unsettle the country's peace and security. The continuing Pakistan-sponsored Islamist terrorism may be an extremely unfortunate part of the relationship between the two south Asian nations, but they seem to follow a global pattern as Islamist terrorism is growing across the world. Barely five months passed through the current year, there have already been several notable Islamic terror attacks. A mass stabbing in Iraq on April 1, was attributed to Anti-Assyrian sentiment and the Islamic State insurgents. On April 15, a massive bombing was linked to terrorism in Pakistan and the Balochistan insurgency. From April 13, a series of arson and shooting incidents occurred in Europe for several days, all said to be linked with Islamist terrorism. These events highlight the ongoing nature of Islamist terrorist threats in various regions. The growing Islamic terrorism has not spared most countries in the world, having a recognisable Islamic population, except China. The latter has shown the world how to control religious violence. A vast majority of Chinese Muslim adults come from 10 ethnic minority groups that traditionally practice Islam, the two largest being those from the Hui community and Uyghurs. Most of China's Muslims live in the country's northwestern region, particularly in the areas of Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang, bordering Central Asia's Muslim republics. Unlike in most other countries with Muslim population, China seems to have ensured even a birth control system to contain the Muslim ratio. Paradoxically, China seems to enjoy a fearful respect from all Islamic countries. China practically controls the Islamic states of Pakistan and Bangladesh as also Sri Lanka, a majority Buddhist country, through trade, economic and military cooperation. Along with innocent civilians, terrorists are also dying in hordes as the countries with significant or growing Muslim populations constantly take innovative measures to tackle terrorism. The latest Global Terrorism Index revealed a significant increase in terrorist deaths, with 8,352 fatalities, the highest since 2017. The recent terrorist attacks were more deadly, particularly in the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, a new epicentre of terrorism. Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, along with Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam Muslimeen (JNIM), a franchise of Al-Qaeda, were the most active terrorist organizations in this region. The Vision of Humanity identified IS and its affiliates as the deadliest, responsible for 1,805 deaths across 22 countries. Other major groups include Pakistan's Tehrik-e-Taliban and Al-Shabaab. Although the number of terrorist incidents, last year, decreased by 22 percent, the average number of people killed per attack increased by 56 percent, making them more lethal. The 'Lone Wolf' attacks in the western world, driven by individuals radicalized online, increased significantly, with a rise in terrorist incidents and arrests, particularly in Europe. Last year, Europe faced several major Islamist terror attacks, including the deadly Moscow Crocus City Hall attack killing 145 people and injuring many more. Other than this specific incident, terrorist attacks in the West, particularly in Europe, doubled to 68, indicating a significant increase in Jehadist violence on the continent. Lone Wolf attacks have become increasingly prominent in the West, accounting for a significant portion of fatal attacks in recent years. Islamist terror groups like ISKP (Islamic State – Khorasan Province), a regional branch of the IS Salafi jihadist known to be highly active in Central and South Asia, have threatened to target major sporting events, including the Paris Olympics. In West Asia, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State remain committed to conducting attacks against the US homeland as well as US interests. Israel has degraded Hezbollah's and Hamas's capabilities, while the Houthis have become a more active regional threat. Africa remains the most active centre for Salafi-jihadist organizations. It should be noted that Hindu-majority secular India features prominently in the global Islamist terror targets. And, Pakistan and Bangladesh form the two major export centres of Jihadists into India. While Islamist terror attacks from Bangladesh are suspected mostly by Lone Wolf groups having little link with the state administration and army, the ones originating from Pakistan seem to have strong connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Pakistani Jihadists are believed to be mostly ISI recruited and trained. Incidentally, India's own intelligence agency, Research and Analytical Wing (RAW), may have substantial information on India-specific Jihadi training establishments in Pakistan. A coordinated effort among India's central and state intelligence agencies, particularly those in border states such as J&K, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, should help locate Islamist Jehadi export networks and, in the process, help the army, police and other security forces smash the Jehadi design in advance before it targets the country's civilians and their dwellings. (IPA Service)
The Print
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Pakistan in violation of IWT', spreading disinformation—India at UNSC
Harish highlighted Pakistan's violation of the treaty's spirit through its support for cross-border terrorism and its obstructionist approach to modifying the treaty. Delivering the statement at the Arria Formula Meeting on 'Protecting Water in Armed Conflict – Protecting Civilian Lives', Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Parvathaneni Harish strongly refuted Pakistan's claims regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. New York: India, in a firm and unequivocal statement at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accused Pakistan of spreading disinformation over the Indus Waters Treaty and reiterated its commitment to responsible water management even amid persistent cross-border terrorism. Harish affirmed that India has always acted responsibly as an upper riparian state and accused Pakistan of distorting facts. 'India entered into the Indus Waters Treaty 65 years ago in good faith,' he said, recalling that the agreement was signed in a spirit of goodwill and friendship. He pointed out that Pakistan has violated the treaty's spirit by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India, resulting in over 20,000 Indian lives lost in the last four decades. 'Pakistan has violated the spirit of the treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India. In the last four decades, more than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost in terror attacks, the most recent of which was a dastardly targeted terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam last month. India has shown extraordinary patience and magnanimity throughout this period. Pakistan's state-sponsored cross-border terrorism in India seeks to hold hostage the lives of civilians, religious harmony, and economic prosperity,' he added. He added that Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism threatens civilian lives, religious harmony, and economic prosperity. He emphasized that significant changes have taken place in the past 65 years, including escalating security concerns, growing requirements for clean energy, climate change, and demographic shifts. 'In these 65 years, far-reaching fundamental changes have taken place not only in terms of escalating security concerns through cross-border terror attacks, but also growing requirements for producing clean energy, climate change, and demographic change. Technology for dam infrastructure has transformed to ensure safety and efficiency of operations and water use. Some of the old dams are facing serious safety concerns,' he added. 'Some old dams face serious safety concerns,' he said, pointing out that terrorists even attacked the Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012. 'In fact, in 2012, terrorists even attacked the Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir. These cynical acts continue to endanger safety of our projects and lives of civilians,' added Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. Harish stated that India has formally asked Pakistan to discuss modifications to the treaty, but Pakistan has continued to block consistently any changes to this infrastructure and any modifications of the provisions which is permissible under the treaty. 'Against this backdrop, India has finally announced that the treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan- a global epicentre of terror credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism,' he stated. India has formally asked Pakistan to discuss the modifications of the treaty on several occasions in the past two years. However, Pakistan continues to reject these and Pakistan's obstructionist approach continues to prevent the exercise of full utilisation of the legitimate rights by India. 'It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,' Harish concluded. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in April 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack, which it blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists. This report is auto generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ukrainian Ship ‘Blown To Bits' By Russian Iskander Missile; ‘Drone-Laden Vessel Destroyed' In Odesa
No Moral Authority; India Slams 'Hypocrite' Pak at UN | Indus Waters Treaty | Terrorism | Op Sindoor India has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan for spreading 'disinformation' regarding the Indus Waters Treaty at the UN, following its suspension after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people on April 22. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, stated the 65-year-old treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism. He highlighted Pakistan as a 'global epicentre of terror' and accused it of violating the treaty's spirit through wars and terror attacks. Responding to Pakistan's claim that 'water is life and not a weapon of war', India asserted it has acted responsibly as the upper riparian state and emphasized its commitment to protecting national security and sovereignty. India also called out Pakistan's hypocrisy for speaking on civilian protection and backing terrorists at the same time. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack.#india #pakistan #induswaterstreaty #operationsindoor #unitednations #pahalgamattack #crossborderterrorism #globalterror #nationalsecurity #indianarmy #terrorism #modigovernment #diplomaticstrike #waterwar #indovspak #toibharat 166 views | 14 hours ago
