• Source:JND
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India on Saturday strongly condemned the remarks of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack. While addressing a plenary session of the first UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that Islamabad should blame itself for the suspension of the treaty, as the decision was taken due to cross-border terrorism backed by Pakistan. Singh further slammed the Pakistani prime minister for misusing the international forum to promote his agenda.

“We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues that do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt," Kirti Vardhan Singh was quoted as saying by PTI. “These changes include technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change, and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism," Singh added.

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He further stated that Pakistan had violated the treaty by promoting cross-border terrorism, adding that it should not blame India for the suspension of the treaty. “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," Singh stated.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had claimed that India's decision to suspend the treaty was "illegal", adding that the decision from New Delhi was "deeply regrettable". “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," Sharif was quoted as saying by Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

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India had suspended the Indus Water Treaty on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were brutally killed.