New Delhi [India], September 22 (ANI): India has asserted that Pakistan must execute credible measures against cross-border terrorism prior to the international community placing any trust in its assertions, while launching a scathing critique against Islamabad concerning its distortions regarding a recent verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Indus Water Treaty.Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal censured Pakistan for deliberately manipulating facts and circulating fabrications intended to advance its malicious propaganda campaign.”Pakistan has a habit of misrepresenting facts and propagating falsehoods to serve its malicious propaganda,” Jaiswal stated.”For starters, the so-called ruling is not a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, as sought to be projected by the Pakistan minister. It is a ruling by an illegally constituted court. We see this as just one more attempt by Pakistan at distorting the reality,” he added.Jaiswal’s remarks came in response to an inquiry concerning Islamabad disseminating correspondence addressed to the president of the United Nations Security Council pertaining to recent determinations associated with the Permanent Court of Arbitration.This exchange transpired merely days after Pakistan elevated financial bounties for intelligence culminating in the apprehension or sentencing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar.New Delhi previously dismissed Pakistan’s PKR 70 lakh bounty announcement regarding Azhar as an insincere gesture, demanding tangible actions against the terrorist leader.The Pakistan-headquartered Jaish-e-Mohammed stands implicated in multiple devastating terrorist strikes targeting India, encompassing the 2001 Parliament attack alongside terror plots in Pathankot and Pulwama. The group was originally established by the globally designated terrorist Masood Azhar.New Delhi has consistently underscored that Islamabad’s demonstrated willingness to dismantle cross-border terrorism serves as the fundamental benchmark for evaluating its credibility.Amid strained India-Pakistan ties following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed in the name of religion, India has maintained a firm position against Pakistan-backed terrorism and has repeatedly called for credible and verifiable action against those responsible for supporting cross-border terror.The Pahalgam terror attack was followed by a strong military response by India, with New Delhi launching Operation Sindoor in retaliation, targeting terror infrastructure, after which military exchanges between the two sides continued until May 10, 2025, when a ceasefire understanding was reached.This firm stance builds upon New Delhi’s decisive rejection last month of an unauthorised “award” issued by a flawed arbitration panel concerning interim measures under the water pact.Rejecting the so-called “award”, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the so-called “Court of Arbitration” was set up by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the treaty.”Today, the illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has issued what it termed as an award concerning Interim Measures and Status of the Indus Waters Treaty. This so-called Court was constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the Treaty and India categorically rejects its so-called award, just as it has firmly rejected all prior pronouncements by this illegally constituted body,” the MEA stated on August 31.Reiterating its unyielding legal posture, the MEA underscored that India has never recognised the existence in law of “the illegally-constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration” and consistently maintained that the creation of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the IWT.”Accordingly, India has never appeared before this body and has refused to take any cognisance of its earlier pronouncements. This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions. Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India’s actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India,” the MEA mentioned.Furthermore, New Delhi reaffirmed that the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force. The historic water-sharing accord was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, concerning the utilisation of the waters of the Indus system rivers.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier reiterated India’s consistent stance on the IWT in June, making it categorically clear that bilateral cooperation remains suspended until cross-border terror completely stops.”We have suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and kept it in abeyance until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said.Addressing bilateral dynamics concerning Bangladesh, Jaiswal reiterated that New Delhi aspires for constructive and cooperative relations with Dhaka.”India seeks positive, constructive and forward-looking ties with Bangladesh,” he noted.Turning to the status of Indian citizens unaccounted for following severe flooding in Nepal, Jaiswal outlined that a specialised Indian forensic delegation is collaborating directly alongside Nepalese counterparts to facilitate identifications.”As I told you last time, we had given you a figure of 275 Indian nationals who were missing. Over and above that, several other people from the Indian diaspora and persons of Indian origin are also missing,” he said.”We have a forensic team in Nepal that is working in Kathmandu in several laboratories along with their Nepali colleagues,” Jaiswal added.He detailed that the visiting Indian specialists are processing roughly 3,000 biological samples, having successfully generated exceeding 1,200 definitive DNA profiles thus far.”The work is going on, and regarding the missing Indian nationals and missing persons, we await to hear from the Nepali authorities,” he stated.Regarding geopolitical developments concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Jaiswal confirmed that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conducted a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday to evaluate evolving circumstances.”Yes, the external affairs minister met with the Ukrainian foreign minister yesterday. During the meeting, he discussed the recent developments in the conflict,” Jaiswal remarked.External Affairs Minister Jaishankar reaffirmed New Delhi’s steadfast conviction that sustainable conflict resolution can exclusively be achieved through sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement.”The external affairs minister once again put forth India’s point that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward for a peaceful resolution,” Jaiswal affirmed.”India, as you know, is in touch with both sides, Ukraine and Russia, and we have told them that if there is any way that India can contribute, India is ready to do so,” Jaiswal added. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)