In a week marked by diplomatic tensions and high-stakes accusations, South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan, have found themselves at the center of a storm of allegations and counterclaims that threaten to further destabilize an already volatile region. The latest developments unfolded on November 6, 2025, as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Sindhi nationalist leader Shafi Burfat made urgent appeals to the international community, each painting a starkly different picture of the threats facing their country and the wider world.
President Zardari, speaking at the United Nations World Conference on Social Development in Doha, Qatar, did not mince words as he accused India of escalating hostilities and using water as a weapon against Pakistan. According to Business Recorder, Zardari’s address was a clarion call for global attention: he urged the international community to “uphold justice, peace, and equality” in the face of what he described as India’s unilateral and dangerous actions.
“India is using water as a weapon against Pakistan,” Zardari declared, asserting that India’s recent moves to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty—a cornerstone agreement governing the flow of rivers between the two nations—constituted a violation of both international law and longstanding norms. The President warned that this breach posed a “serious threat to 240 million Pakistanis,” emphasizing the magnitude of the crisis by highlighting the risk to Pakistan’s agriculture and, by extension, its food security.
For those unfamiliar, the Indus Waters Treaty, brokered in 1960, divides the rivers of the Indus basin between India and Pakistan. Three western rivers—Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus—were allocated to Pakistan, while the three eastern rivers—Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas—were granted to India. Zardari accused India of failing to inform Pakistan about increased water flows in the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, a move that he said was not just a breach of protocol but a direct threat to Pakistan’s lifeline. “Such actions amount to depriving an entire nation of water, which cannot be tolerated,” he insisted.
The implications for Pakistan’s agriculture are profound. With much of the country’s farming dependent on the steady flow of these rivers, any disruption could spell disaster for millions of rural families and the broader economy. Zardari’s remarks come amid a backdrop of heightened military tension: India recently conducted a tri-service drill along the western border with Pakistan, just months after a brief but intense armed conflict in May 2025. The Pakistani leader framed these maneuvers as part of a broader pattern of “growing belligerence” from New Delhi, suggesting that India’s current government has adopted a more aggressive posture due to domestic political pressures and the fear of losing power after recent setbacks.
“The United Nations must take note of India’s escalating political rhetoric and actions against Pakistan without any further loss of time,” Zardari urged, underscoring the urgency of the situation. For Islamabad, the stakes could hardly be higher: water security, national sovereignty, and regional peace all hang in the balance.
But as Zardari was sounding alarms over Indian actions, another voice from within Pakistan was raising deeply troubling concerns about his own country’s conduct—this time in the realm of nuclear security. On the same day, Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), sent a letter to a host of international bodies and leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. His message was clear: Pakistan’s alleged secret nuclear activities in the mountainous regions of Sindh province represent a grave threat not just to the region, but to global security itself.
In his letter, Burfat called for “an independent international enquiry and immediate precautionary measures” over what he described as credible allegations of clandestine underground tunnels and suspected nuclear-related activities in Sindh. The letter, seen by Business Recorder, details mounting evidence—independent local testimonials, dated photographs, annotated maps, and consistent community reports—suggesting the emergence of extensive underground tunnels and chamber systems in remote highland areas north of Jamshoro near Noriabad, around Kambar-Shahdadkot, and west of Manchar Lake.
Burfat’s allegations are serious and specific. He described “intensified construction activity, restricted access to certain mountain sectors, and increased secrecy around specific sites,” all of which, he contends, point to the presence or preparation of facilities linked to Pakistan’s nuclear apparatus. “If nuclear materials or sensitive nuclear processes are present in unmonitored or insecure underground facilities, there is a severe risk of radioactive contamination, accidents, ecosystem damage, and violations of international nuclear-safety and non-proliferation obligations,” Burfat warned. He stressed that the potential for humanitarian and cross-border environmental consequences “require immediate, impartial verification and, if necessary, rapid mitigation.”
These claims, though unverified by independent international agencies at this stage, have sparked alarm among nuclear watchdogs and environmental groups. The possibility of secret nuclear storage or enrichment facilities operating outside the scrutiny of the IAEA or other regulatory bodies raises the specter of accidents, radioactive leaks, or even the proliferation of nuclear materials. For local communities in Sindh, the alleged activities pose direct risks to health, livelihoods, and the environment.
The juxtaposition of these two narratives—Pakistan as both victim and accused—highlights the complexity and volatility of South Asian geopolitics. On one hand, Islamabad is seeking international support to counter what it sees as Indian aggression and treaty violations; on the other, voices from within its own borders are calling for international intervention to investigate potentially dangerous and illegal nuclear practices.
For the international community, the challenge is daunting. The United Nations, IAEA, and other global institutions are being asked to step in—both to mediate water disputes and to investigate nuclear allegations. The stakes are not merely regional; with both India and Pakistan possessing nuclear arsenals and a history of military confrontation, any escalation or miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences far beyond South Asia.
As the world watches, the need for transparency, dialogue, and impartial verification has never been more critical. Whether it is water flowing from the Himalayas or uranium hidden beneath Sindh’s mountains, the issues at play are as vital as they are contentious. The coming weeks will test the resolve of international bodies and the willingness of both India and Pakistan to address these challenges openly and peacefully. For now, the region stands at a crossroads—one where the choices made could shape the fate of millions.
