A United Nations report released this week by a panel of independent experts has placed Pakistan’s position regarding the May escalation with India firmly in the international spotlight, declaring India’s military actions during that period unlawful. The report, prepared by UN-appointed specialists, criticized New Delhi’s unilateral measures, particularly the military strikes following the Pulwama incident, and scrutinized its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. For Islamabad, the report represents more than vindication; it is a rare moment in which global institutions have echoed longstanding Pakistani concerns about both cross-border aggression and regional water security.
According to the UN experts, Pakistan consistently denied involvement in the Pulwama attack and called for impartial, transparent investigations. India, the report noted, failed to provide any substantive evidence linking Pakistan to the attack. On 7 May, India launched military strikes across the border, targeting populated areas and key infrastructure—actions that, according to the report, violated the UN Charter. The strikes resulted in civilian casualties and damage to places of worship, including mosques, underscoring the human cost of unilateral military interventions. Pakistan’s immediate communications to the Security Council documented its right to self-defence under international law, a right the UN panel recognized in its findings.
The report concluded that India’s actions represented a serious breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty, raising critical questions about the rules-based order in South Asia. Beyond military aggression, the report highlighted India’s repeated violations of the Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement brokered in 1960 under the auspices of the World Bank. The treaty, designed to ensure equitable water sharing between India and Pakistan, has long been a cornerstone of regional stability. Yet India’s moves to suspend or manipulate treaty provisions—particularly attempts to obstruct the flow of rivers such as the Jhelum—have threatened the livelihoods of millions and undermined the human rights of Pakistani citizens. The UN experts emphasized that such acts are not administrative or technical matters; they constitute deliberate hydrological aggression with profound consequences for food security, agriculture, and everyday life.
Pakistan’s leadership welcomed the report as a validation of its position. President Asif Ali Zardari described the UN findings as a clear endorsement of Pakistan’s stance, expressing deep concern about the broader implications for regional peace. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar warned that India’s aggressive measures on water could destabilize South Asia, highlighting the potential for environmental and humanitarian crises if such unilateral actions remain unchecked.
The May escalation was not an isolated event. It occurred against a backdrop of mounting tension, political disputes, and military posturing across South Asia. By invoking allegations of cross-border terrorism to justify both military strikes and interference with water infrastructure, India risks eroding not only regional stability but also the credibility of international agreements that underpin water-sharing and conflict resolution worldwide. The Indus Waters Treaty, despite repeated Indian violations over decades, has been diligently respected by Pakistan, which has consistently defended its provisions at international forums. The UN report reinforces this narrative, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to lawful, responsible conduct even in the face of provocation.
The consequences of ignoring such violations are stark. Blocking rivers and manipulating water resources does not merely affect Pakistan’s agriculture; it threatens the health, nutrition, and basic rights of millions of citizens. Water is life, and tampering with it in a densely populated, agriculturally dependent region like South Asia is an act of destabilization with ripple effects far beyond national borders. The UN experts’ warnings are a reminder that these actions, left unchecked, could escalate a bilateral dispute into a broader international crisis, drawing in global institutions and testing the resilience of the rules-based order.
For Islamabad, the response has been measured yet firm. Pakistan has demonstrated restraint, emphasizing dialogue, legal recourse, and adherence to international norms. Yet the UN report signals that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. Sovereignty, water security, and regional peace are non-negotiable. Pakistan has repeatedly shown that it will pursue its rights through every legitimate channel, invoking provisions of the UN Charter and calling on the international community to uphold the principles that prevent unilateral aggression from becoming precedent.
The wider implications of the UN report are significant. Global attention now falls on India’s disregard for legal and ethical obligations under international treaties. Mere expressions of concern from world powers or multilateral institutions will no longer suffice. The report implicitly calls for robust and timely action, potentially including sanctions or other measures, to ensure compliance and prevent further destabilization. The Indus Waters Treaty is not simply a bilateral agreement; it is a cornerstone of regional peace and a test case for the integrity of international law in conflict-prone regions. Any erosion of its principles threatens the credibility of the international system as a whole.
Pakistan’s message is unequivocal: it will defend its rights, sovereignty, and the stability of South Asia at every level. The May escalation, including the obstruction of rivers and attacks on civilian areas, represents a challenge not just to Pakistan but to the global framework that guarantees peaceful coexistence between states. The UN report provides international validation of Pakistan’s position, yet it also serves as a warning to the international community. Inaction risks emboldening aggressive behavior, weakening trust, and allowing disputes over essential resources to escalate into full-blown crises.
In the end, the report is both a vindication and a call to vigilance. It demonstrates that Pakistan acted within international law, highlighted India’s violations, and reaffirmed the critical importance of treaties like the Indus Waters Treaty. But it also exposes a sobering reality: the stability of South Asia depends not only on the behavior of the states involved but also on the willingness of the international community to enforce norms, uphold agreements, and prevent unilateral actions from undermining decades of carefully negotiated peace.
Pakistan’s path forward is clear. It must continue to defend its rights and its people, maintain principled restraint, and insist on accountability. The UN panel has confirmed that in the complex chessboard of South Asian geopolitics, legality, restraint, and the respect for treaties are the measures that distinguish a responsible state from one that imperils the peace of millions. For the citizens of Pakistan, the stakes are immediate, tangible, and enduring: the protection of water, food security, and sovereignty, underlined now by the authority of an international verdict.
