
In Absurd Act, Pakistan Brings Up Indus River Issue At UNSC Amid Maritime Security Debate
That was in keeping with Islamabad's total obsession with matters relating to India, regardless of the topic of discussion, which often makes for a theatre of the absurd.
Without directly naming India but referring to it as 'one major country', Pakistan's Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said it 'displayed a concerning propensity to usurp and weaponise shared natural resources -- including transboundary rivers -- in flagrant breach of treaty obligations and the principles of good neighbourliness'.
After the terrorist group, The Resistance Front, based in and backed by Pakistan, massacred 26 people in Pahalgam last month, India put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. Smarting under the action, Ahmad said India was 'leveraging geography' to "the detriment of the lower riparian state that is Pakistan'.
By avoiding mentioning by name, and using innuendos, he tried to avoid India using the right of reply to expose the assertions. India's Permanent Representative P. Harish, who spoke in the session, contemptuously ignored it.
Ahmad pouted over Pakistan's exclusion from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), a 23-member group of nations that, besides cooperating on a range of maritime issues, also take a strong stand against terrorism.
The 'coercive diplomacy' of 'the one major country' has led to 'the systematic exclusion of neighbouring states from regional maritime security frameworks, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association', he griped.
India took the initiative to found the IORA and objects to Pakistan's membership because of its terrorism links. As Pakistan is unable to afford an aircraft carrier and is dependent on the arms alms of China and Turkey, Ahmad also complained about what he called the 'aggressive naval expansion' by the 'one major country'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Business Standard
World has only 3 years left to avert worst impact of climate change: Study
Bad climate news is everywhere. Africa is being hit particularly hard by climate change and extreme weather, impacting lives and livelihoods. We are living in a world that is warming at the fastest rate since records began. Yet, governments have been slow to act. The annual global climate change conference of the parties (COP30) is just months away. All of the 197 countries that belong to the United Nations were supposed to have submitted updated national climate plans to the UN by February this year. These plans outline how each country will cut its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the legally binding international Paris Agreement. This agreement commits all signatories to limiting human-caused global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Governments must also bring their newly updated national climate action plans to COP30 and show how they plan to adapt to the impacts that climate change will bring. But so far, only 25 countries, covering around 20 per cent of global emissions, have submitted their plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions. In Africa, they are Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This leaves 172 still to come. The nationally determined contributions are very important in setting out countries' short- to medium-term commitments on climate change. They also provide a direction of travel that can inform broader policy decisions and investments. Aligning climate plans with development goals could lift 175 million people out of poverty. But arguably only one of the submitted plans – the UK's – is compatible with the Paris Agreement. We are climate scientists, and one of us (Piers Forster) leads the global science team that publishes the annual Indicators of Global Climate Change report. This report gives an overview of the state of the climate system. It is based on calculations of the net emissions of greenhouse gases globally, how these are concentrating in the atmosphere, how temperatures are rising on the ground, and how much of this warming has been caused by humans. The report also looks at how extreme temperatures and rainfall are intensifying, how much the sea levels are rising, and how much carbon dioxide can still be emitted before the planet's temperature exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius more than it was in pre-industrial times. This is important because staying within 1.5 degrees Celsius is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Our report shows that human-caused global warming reached 1.36 degrees Celsius in 2024. This boosted average global temperatures (a combination of human-induced warming and natural variability in the climate system) to 1.52 degrees Celsius. In other words, the world has already reached the level where it has warmed so much that it cannot avoid significant impacts from climate change. There is no doubt we are in dangerous waters. Our dangerously hot planet Although last year's global temperatures were very high, they were also alarmingly unexceptional. The data speaks for itself. Continued record high levels of greenhouse gas emissions have led to rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The result is rising temperatures that are rapidly eating into the remaining carbon budget (the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted within an agreed time). This will be exhausted in less than three years at current levels of emissions. We need to face this head on: the window to stay within 1.5 degrees Celsius is essentially shut. Even if we can bring temperatures back down in future, it will be a long and difficult road. At the same time, climate extremes are intensifying, bringing long-term risks and costs to the global economy but also, importantly, people. The African continent is now facing its deadliest climate crisis in over a decade. It would be impossible to imagine economies operating without fast access to trusted data. When share prices plummet or growth stalls, politicians and business leaders act decisively. None would tolerate outdated intelligence on sales or the stock market. But when it comes to climate, the speed of climate change often outpaces the data available. This means fast decisions can't be made. If we treated climate data as we do financial reports, panic would ensue after each dire update. But while governments routinely pivot when faced with an economic downturn, they have been far slower to respond to what key climate indicators – the Earth's vital signs – are telling us. What needs to happen next As more countries develop their climate plans, it's time for leaders across the globe to face the hard truths of climate science. Governments need to have fast access to trusted climate data so that they can develop up-to-date national climate plans. The national climate plans need to take a global perspective too. This is really important for fairness and equity. For example, developed countries must acknowledge that they've emitted more greenhouse gases and take the lead in presenting ambitious mitigation efforts and in providing finance for other countries to decarbonise and adapt. In Africa, the UN is hosting UNFCCC Climate Week in Addis Ababa in September. As well as making plans for COP30, there will be sessions on accessing climate finance and ensuring that the transition to zero human-caused carbon emissions by 2050 (net zero) is just and equitable. The summit also aims to support countries that are still working on their national climate plans. If nationally determined contributions are implemented, the pace of climate change will slow down. This is vital not just for the countries – and economies – currently on the frontline against climate change, but for a functioning global society. Just five of the G20 countries have submitted their 2035 plans: Canada, Brazil, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. But the G20 is responsible for around 80 per cent of global emissions. This means that South Africa's current G20 presidency can help to ensure that the world prioritises efforts to help developing countries finance their transition to a low-carbon economy. Another worrying factor is that just 10 of the updated nationally determined contributions have reaffirmed or strengthened commitments to move away from fossil fuels. This means that national climate plans from the European Union, China and India will be key in testing their climate leadership and keeping the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goals alive. Many other countries will be scrutinising what these countries commit to before they submit their own national climate plans. The data in our report helps the world to understand not just what's happened in recent years, but also what to expect further down the track. Our hope is that these and other countries submit ambitious and credible plans well before COP30. If they do, this will finally close the gap between acknowledging the climate crisis and making decisive efforts to address it. Every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions matters.


Deccan Herald
3 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
States that spend wisely, rise steadily
Last month, India for the first time crossed a historic threshold by entering the top 100 nations in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index. It secured the 99th position among 167 countries, with a composite score of 67 out of 100. This upward shift from 121st in 2022 to 109th in 2024 is a broader transformation of state-led governance and public investment in sustainable at the national level, the leap is notable, much of India's SDG momentum is shaped by the steady efforts of its states. According to NITI Aayog's 2023-2024 SDG India Index, the number of 'Front Runner' states/UTs increased from 22 to 32, with notable progress in poverty eradication and climate action; but Goal 5 (gender equality) lags below 50 which states are driving this success, and what are they doing differently?SDG frontrunnersAt the top is Kerala (79 points), followed by Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Himachal Pradesh. These states consistently lead in health, education, and welfare contrast, Bihar (57) and Jharkhand (62) are the lowest-ranked states in 2023-2024. Other laggards include several North-Eastern states like Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal front-runner states are achieving significant SDG gains through calibrated fiscal strategies tailored to local realities. Frontrunner states invest in people, services, and governance, prioritising strong institutions, human development, and effective social policies. For instance, Kerala excels with 93.9% literacy, 74.9 years of life expectancy, and being open-defecation-free. It tops India's Human Development Index with the lowest multidimensional poverty index (0.002).Tamil Nadu and Goa excel in literacy and health, while Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh achieve above-average nutrition and sanitation standards through active local states like Bihar and Jharkhand face challenges with low literacy, health metrics, and large poor populations, highlighting the importance of institutional quality and capable policy interventions, along with expansions in health insurance and schools, have lifted state SDG scores, especially in states that effectively supplemented them with state funding. For example, in the last decade, India built over 11 crore rural toilets (Swachh Bharat), provided LPG connections to 10 crore households (Ujjwala) and delivered housing to about 4 crore poor families (PMAY).The SDG puzzleSDG financing relies on a multi-stakeholder framework, with domestic public finance as the dominant pillar, complemented by private investment, official development assistance, and innovative instruments, along with flagship schemes (e.g., PMAY, SBM, MGNREGS) to support SDG targets. While precise disaggregated data is limited, estimates suggest that public expenditure aligned with SDGs constitutes around 6-7% of India's GDP, with states contributing nearly 60-65% of this SDG-related spending, especially in sectors like health, education, and rural between public spending and SDG scoresParadoxically, a higher share of public spending doesn't guarantee a higher SDG score. Many poorly-performing states spend more as a percentage of GSDP, yet lag due to ineffective fiscal strategy. According to NITI's 2025 Fiscal Health Index, the healthier states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate about 27% of their development budgets to capital outlays, building infrastructure.. States with weaker SDG outcomes, like Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal (and even Kerala), face high deficits and debt, which limit development spending. They allocate only about 10% of their budget to capital expenditure, prioritising salaries and subsidies, resulting in rising Debt-to-GSDP ratios and reduced funds for essential services like schools and net effect is a strong negative correlation between spending share and SDG rank. Aspirational states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh see diluted impact from high spending due to governance gaps, while richer states like Kerala achieve more with targeted aheadIndia's SDG progress is uneven, with leading states excelling through good governance and targeted spending, while laggard states see limited impact despite high spending due to institutional and fiscal India aims higher growth and development trajectory, bridging the divide and reducing the interstate disparities in SDG scores are important. States lagging in SDGs must learn from the front-runners, invest in social overhead capital, empower women, and engage communities in the upward trend, India continues to lag on nine SDGs, notably in areas like climate action, marine ecosystem protection, and reducing inequality. Structural challenges such as poor centre-state co-ordination, inconsistent budgetary provisions, and limited scalability persist. Moreover, the lack of disaggregated data across states and districts hampers fine-tuned road ahead demands targeted financing and it calls for political vision, institutional co-ordination, and a relentless commitment to inclusive development.(Aswathy Rachel Varughese is Assistant Professor, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation, Thiruvananthapuram. Navyatheertha S G is a student, Integrated MA Economics, University of Hyderabad.) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors' own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Pakistan Targets India at UN: Deputy PM Ishaq Dar Raises Kashmir, Indus Waters Treaty, Terrorism
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar goes on a rant against India at the United Nations HQ in New York. From Kashmir to the Indus Waters Treaty, and even terrorism, Dar accused India of multiple violations while meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. India had earlier suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty after attacks in Kashmir killed 26 tourists. But while Dar sought to internationalize the Kashmir issue yet again, New Delhi remained unfazed. Experts say Islamabad is trying to deflect from its internal crises, economic meltdown, political instability, and rising extremism. Dar also brought up Islamophobia, Gaza, and backed Palestine.#india #pakistan #unitednations #kashmir #induswatertreaty #ishaqdar #terrorism #islamophobia #modigovernment #indiapakrelations #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews