On a diplomatic visit to Colombia, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation, made a strong statement on India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, citing decades of terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking in Bogotá, Tharoor said that the treaty — signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank — was a goodwill gesture from India to Pakistan, but that “goodwill has been repeatedly betrayed”.
“The Indus Waters Treaty was offered in a spirit of goodwill and harmony… Sadly, that goodwill has been repeatedly betrayed by the terrorist actions of the last four decades,” Tharoor said, adding,
“This time, our government has placed the treaty in abeyance. Its operations are suspended until we get a satisfactory indication from Pakistan.”
Tharoor noted that India has always honored its commitments, including sharing water as an upper riparian state, even without using all of its entitlements. However, in the current climate, “the time for acting based on unilateral goodwill is over.”
Tharoor further explained that the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was a tipping point and justified India’s May 7 retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor.
“India suffered a grievous terrorist attack… There was no arrest, no prosecution, no action taken by Pakistan. So India acted, striking known terror bases and launch pads.”
He exposed Pakistan’s complicity by citing the military funeral of a sanctioned terrorist attended by Pakistani police and military officers, underlining the systemic support terrorists receive there.
In a pointed remark, Tharoor also criticised the Colombian government for its diplomatic reaction after India’s anti-terror strikes.
“We were a little disappointed… Colombia expressed condolences over Pakistani casualties in the strike, instead of sympathising with the Indian victims of terrorism.”
Delegation Details
The Indian delegation to Colombia, led by Tharoor, includes representatives from across the political spectrum:
- Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party)
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha)
- G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party)
- Tejaswi Surya, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP)
- Mallikarjun Devda, Milind Deora (Shiv Sena)
- Taranjit Singh Sandhu, former Indian Ambassador to the US
The visit is part of India’s effort to counter Pakistan’s diplomatic narrative globally and reaffirm its stance on terrorism and water rights in international forums.