‘Act of war’: Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif cries injustice over Indus Water Treaty abeyance at UNGA

islamic republic of pakistan ground government minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his call to the superior general Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Friday, raised the issue of abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty, accusing India of defying the provisions of the treaty.

“India’s unilateral and illegal attempt to hold the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance defies the provisions of the treaty itself as well as the norms of International law. Pakistan has made it abundantly clear that we will defend the inseparable right of our people on these waters. To us, any violation of the treaty represents an act of war,” Sharif said.

India put the treaty on abeyance as one of the counter-measures against Pakistan's cross-border terrorism efforts after 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in September 1960, divided control of the rivers between India and Pakistan, giving India the eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, and Pakistan the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.

Despite surviving wars and strained ties, the treaty has frequently drawn criticism in India for what many see as an inequitable share of water rights.

India has accused Pakistan of manipulating the treaty process to deflect from its support of terrorism, labelling the arbitration a "desperate attempt" to avoid accountability. India exercised its sovereign right under international law to place the treaty in abeyance, linking its reinstatement to Pakistan's verifiable cessation of cross-border terrorism support.

In his address, Pakistan's PM also raised the issue of Kashmir.

"I wish to assure Kashmiri people that I stand with them, Pakistan stands with them, and one day soon India's tyranny in Kashmir will come to a halt," he said.

In a conflicting turn of the rhetoric, Sharif also proposed restarting comprehensive dialogue with India on “all outstanding issues,” declaring, “Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive, and result-orientated dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,” including Kashmir, which he described as suffering under “tyranny.”

Trump announced the May 10 ceasefire on social media and has since repeated his mediation claims dozens of times. However, India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities was reached following direct military talks without third-party intervention.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament that no foreign leader asked India to halt Operation Sindoor, while external affairs minister S Jaishankar categorically stated there was no third-party intervention in bringing about the ceasefire.

Sharif also stressed Pakistan had a role in fighting terrorism, claiming the country had suffered $150 billion in economic losses due to terrorist activities. “Pakistan’s sacrifices are probably the biggest around the globe,” he said.

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