At the World Summit for Social Development held in Doha, Qatar, on November 5, 2025, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya delivered a strong response to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's earlier remarks accusing India of "weaponizing" water and violating the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 

Mandaviya condemned Zardari's statements as an abuse of an international forum, aimed at distracting global attention from development issues by spreading disinformation about India.

Mandaviya emphasised that Pakistan itself has undermined the spirit of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty through sustained hostility and cross-border terrorism. He accused Pakistan of repeatedly misusing treaty mechanisms to obstruct India’s legitimate infrastructure projects related to water management. The minister firmly stated that all of India’s projects comply fully with the provisions of the treaty.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the use of eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. India put the treaty "in abeyance" earlier this year after a terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, linking the suspension to ongoing security challenges posed by Pakistan-based terror groups.

Responding to Zardari’s claims that India’s actions deprived millions of Pakistanis of their legitimate water rights and that water was being used as a weapon, Mandaviya rebutted that Pakistan has no right to comment on India’s internal affairs such as the status of Jammu and Kashmir, especially given Islamabad's policy of cross-border terrorism. He urged Pakistan to introspect and focus on its serious challenges related to development, which he said have rendered Pakistan dependent on international handouts.

Highlighting India’s own progress, Mandaviya cited transformational social development achievements in India over the past decade. He noted that approximately 250 million Indians have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty through reforms, welfare integration, and digital innovation.

Further, 118 million schoolchildren receive nutritious mid-day meals, over 800 million people benefit from food security, health coverage has reached 425 million citizens, and more than 37 million low-income households have been provided homes.

Mandaviya reaffirmed India’s commitment to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, attributing this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" ("Together we all, Development for all").

Zardari, in his speech on November 4, framed Kashmir and Palestine as analogous struggles for dignity and survival, referring to them as "two sides of the same coin." His statements further accused India of violating the IWT following India’s suspension of the treaty in response to terror incidents.

He warned the international community of the threat this violation posed to regional stability and deprived Pakistanis of crucial water resources.

India’s response through Mandaviya was pointed and comprehensive, framing Pakistan as the party undermining peace and development through hostile acts and international misinformation. The minister’s remarks called for Pakistan to address its internal development woes rather than internationalise bilateral disputes, especially against the backdrop of India’s strong social upliftment record.

This diplomatic exchange underscores the deepening tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and the management of shared water resources. It also reveals how international forums are used by both sides to project their narratives amid ongoing conflict and geopolitical rivalry.

Based On ANI Report