Speaking to multiple media outlets in Washington, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said India’s handling of the Indus Waters Treaty showed a disregard for international law.
“The treaty contains no provision for unilateral termination or suspension,” the ambassador said. “India’s attempt to use water as a weapon is both illegal and inhumane, and the international community will not support such actions.”
He further criticised Indian leadership’s recent remarks and visual displays, including a map of Akhand Bharat in the Indian Parliament, calling it a reflection of “hegemonic mentality and sinister intentions.”
The ambassador claimed that the use of anti-Pakistan rhetoric for domestic political gain in India was a “dangerous strategy” that risked inflaming nationalism.“India’s involvement in Balochistan is no longer a secret,” Rizwan Saeed Sheikh added.
Ambassador Sheikh also commended the United States for its role in maintaining the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. He praised former US President Donald Trump for promoting peace in the region and called for continued American engagement on the Kashmir issue.
“We appreciate President Trump’s peace efforts and hope they continue within the established framework to resolve the Kashmir dispute.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 under World Bank supervision, governs water sharing between India and Pakistan.
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan will not get water from rivers over which India has rights upping the rhetoric in a standoff over water access triggered by a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Pakistan’s chief legal officer, in an interview with Reuters, responded that Islamabad remained willing to discuss water sharing between the neighbours but said India must stick to a decades-old treaty.
“Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack … Pakistan’s army will pay it. Pakistan’s economy will pay it,” Modi said at a public event in Rajasthan.
India-Pakistan standoff
The latest escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22, when an attack in the IIOJK resort town of Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident, despite providing no public evidence.
In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other’s embassies.
Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation, calling it unsubstantiated, but took reciprocal measures through its National Security Committee (NSC). These included halting trade with India, closing Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft, and other countersteps.
Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, widely regarded as a key asset of the Indian Air Force. Over the following two days, India launched waves of Israeli-made drones, which were also neutralised by Pakistan’s military.
The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases, and other strategic targets.
By Saturday evening, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.
But despite the military ceasefire the war of narratives has waged on.
While Pakistan publicly credited US President Donald Trump — along with China and Gulf states — for playing a vital role in defusing tensions, India downplayed foreign involvement.
Indian officials have insisted the truce was the result of direct bilateral talks.
Trump, has however, reiterated his stance twice following the initial announcement.