UN Experts raise objections on India's unilateral actions of May 7 inside Pakistan

New York (Web Desk): United Nations (UN) experts have openly challenged India’s cross-border military action carried out on May 7, declaring that the operation inside Pakistan breached the fundamental rules laid down in the UN Charter.

In their assessment of the India–Pakistan confrontation, the experts stated that Indian strikes struck residential zones, damaged mosques, and led to the killing and injury of civilians.

The report notes that Pakistan subsequently informed the UN Security Council that it had preserved its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter.

The experts pointed out that India did not present any reliable or convincing proof to support its claim that Pakistan was directly involved at the state level in the Pahalgam incident.

They underscored that international law does not allow any country to resort to unilateral military action under the banner of counterterrorism, cautioning that such moves could easily spiral into a far broader and more dangerous conflict.

According to the UN experts, India’s actions amounted to a serious infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty and ran counter to the principle of non-interference that underpins international relations.

They also voiced strong concern over India’s announcement to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, aligning themselves with Pakistan’s position on the issue.

The experts warned that any disruption or threat to water supplies would have devastating consequences for millions of people in Pakistan, affecting essential human rights such as access to clean water, food security, employment, healthcare, environmental safety, and overall development.

The experts stressed that interference in shared river systems must be avoided at all costs, emphasizing that water resources cannot be exploited as leverage for political or economic pressure.

Their findings reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be put on hold by one party alone and remains legally valid unless both governments agree to end it through a mutually negotiated arrangement.

The report also drew attention to India’s refusal to take part in arbitration proceedings and its challenges to the treaty’s scope.

Urging corrective action, the UN experts called on India to fully respect and implement the Indus Waters Treaty and to stop any measures that violate Pakistan’s rights.

They emphasized the need for concrete steps to prevent human rights abuses and to address damage caused by any obstruction of water flows.

The UN Special Rapporteurs further revealed that they had sent a formal questionnaire to the Modi government, seeking clarification on the evidence behind India’s allegations and asking about New Delhi’s approach to achieving a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

India did not respond to these inquiries. As a result of the continued silence, the UN Special Experts decided to release their report to the public.