Violation of Indus Waters Treaty an 'act of war’, says Sharif at UN, credits Trump for defusing May standoff with India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that any breach of the Indus Waters Treaty by India would be considered an “act of war,” as he credited US President Donald Trump for brokering a ceasefire with India earlier this year — a claim frequently made by Trump but consistently denied by New Delhi.

Addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Sharif warned that “any violation of the Indus Waters Treaty represents an act of war”, and said Pakistan views India’s suspension of the treaty as a serious provocation.

Sharif said that his country’s foreign policy is rooted in “peace, mutual respect and cooperation,” emphasising that all disputes must be resolved through “dialogue and diplomacy.”

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However, referring to events in May, Sharif accused India of launching “unprovoked aggression” — a claim that contradicts the facts on the ground.

“In May this year my country confronted unprovoked aggression from the eastern front. Our response was in accordance with self-defence. We sent them back in humiliation,” he said, further alleging that “India attacked our cities and targeted our citizens."

In reality, India’s Operation Sindoor — a campaign of targeted air and missile strikes — was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The operation focused on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and was described by New Delhi as a measured counter-terrorism action.

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Following the Pahalgam terror attack and its subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor, India suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of six rivers.

New Delhi maintained that the decision was a sovereign counter-terrorism measure, firmly rejecting Pakistan’s portrayal of it as “aggression.”

Instead, India described the move as a justified step to hold Islamabad accountable for its support of cross-border terrorism.

Sharif also credited US President Donald Trump for helping to defuse the May crisis with India, even suggesting the situation had the potential to escalate into a nuclear conflict.

“The ceasefire was facilitated by President Trump. Who would have lived to tell what happened,” Sharif said, implying the severity of the confrontation. He added, “We nominated President Trump for the Nobel Prize.”

However, Trump’s repeated claims of having personally “ended a war” between India and Pakistan have been consistently rejected by New Delhi.

India maintains that no third-party mediation was involved in the May ceasefire and that negotiations took place directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.

Sharif confronted over terror allegations

Earlier on Friday, as Sharif arrived at the UN headquarters in New York for the fourth day of the General debate, he was confronted by ANI reporters.

#WATCH | New York | "We are defeating cross-border terrorism. We are defeating them," says Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif when asked by ANI about cross-border terrorism as he enters the UN pic.twitter.com/pnCeYqZdNp

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2025

When asked, “When are you going to stop cross-border terrorism?” To this, Sharif replied, “We are defeating cross-border terrorism. We are defeating them.”

When ANI pressed further, saying, “India is defeating you, Pakistan Prime Minister,” Sharif remained silent and proceeded into the venue without further comment.

With inputs from agencies