On December 15, 2025, the United Nations released a report that has sent shockwaves through South Asia and beyond, sharply criticizing India’s recent military and diplomatic actions against Pakistan. The findings, issued by UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts, allege that India’s use of force inside Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam attack violated international law and risked escalating a volatile regional conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The story begins on April 22, 2025, when a brutal assault in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, left 26 civilian tourists dead. India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the attack, a claim that triggered a rapid and dramatic escalation. According to Business Recorder, India responded by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari–Wagah border, expelling Pakistani military diplomats, reducing Pakistan’s diplomatic staff, and canceling SAARC visas for Pakistani nationals. Border skirmishes erupted almost immediately, lasting from April 23 to April 30, as both countries engaged in tit-for-tat measures: Pakistan canceled Indian visas, evacuated Indian nationals, closed its airspace to Indian aircraft, and halted bilateral trade. Pakistani officials issued stern warnings, declaring that any attempt by India to divert Indus River water would be seen as an act of war.
The situation deteriorated further as India initiated ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and imposed airspace restrictions that affected Pakistani flights. On May 4, India stopped the downflow from Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River, a move that only intensified Pakistani fears and anger. The following day, Pakistan shot down 29 Indian drones near the Line of Control and within Punjab, signaling how close the region had come to a full-scale conflict.
Matters reached a boiling point on May 7, when India launched “Operation Sindoor,” conducting missile strikes on multiple sites across Punjab and Kashmir, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, Gulpur, Bhimber, Chak Amru, Bagh, Kotli, Sialkot, and Muzaffarabad. Three days later, the Indian Air Force targeted eight major Pakistani air bases, including the Nur Khan Base in Rawalpindi. Pakistan retaliated almost immediately with “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,” striking 26 military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir using missiles and drones, with a second wave deploying swarm drones, loitering munitions, and Fatah missiles across India’s western border. The world watched nervously as the two countries, both bristling with nuclear arms, edged closer to disaster.
The crisis only began to subside after US President Donald Trump stepped in, brokering a ceasefire that was announced on May 10 via X (formerly Twitter). Pakistan quickly claimed victory following the ceasefire on May 11, but the scars of the conflict—and the questions it raised—were far from healed.
Enter the United Nations. In a report originally dated October 16 and made public on December 15, UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts provided a damning assessment of India’s conduct. According to The Express Tribune, the report concluded that India’s use of military force inside Pakistan lacked any lawful self-defense basis and undermined the right to life and security. The experts emphasized that international law “recognises no separate right to use unilateral military force for counter terrorism purposes,” and noted that India had failed to provide evidence linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistani state involvement, even though that allegation was used to justify its military retaliation.
The report also highlighted grave humanitarian concerns. India’s May 7 missile strikes were found to have caused civilian harm by hitting populated areas and damaging religious sites, including mosques. The experts warned that such actions raised “grave concerns regarding the protection of life, civilian infrastructure and religious property.” They also stated that if the strikes were considered an armed attack, Pakistan would retain a right to self-defense under international law. The experts were clear: “Unilateral military action without legal justification increased the risk of escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbours.”
One procedural misstep, according to the UN, was India’s failure to notify the UN Security Council of any claimed self-defense action under Article 51 of the UN Charter—a required step for such military undertakings. This omission, the report argued, further undermined the legitimacy of India’s actions.
The UN report did not stop at military matters. It also scrutinized India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, calling the move ambiguous and unlawful in the absence of proper treaty procedures. The experts warned that any obstruction or uncertainty in river flows could threaten the rights of millions of Pakistanis, affecting access to water, food, livelihoods, health, and environmental security. The report described India’s references to “material breach” and alleged cross-border terrorism as legally weak grounds for suspension, noting that Pakistan had not been shown to have violated any treaty clause.
Moreover, the UN experts argued that “countermeasures do not remove human-rights obligations and would require notice, negotiation, and completion of legal steps.” Even if such measures were justified, they would be temporary and reversible, not a basis for permanent suspension or termination. The report squarely attributed responsibility for the deterioration in treaty engagement to India, pointing to the lack of annual meetings of the Indus Commission since 2022 and persistent obstacles in data exchange—developments contrary to the treaty’s intent.
Pakistani officials welcomed the UN’s intervention. In a statement released by the President’s Secretariat, President Asif Ali Zardari said the report “reinforces Pakistan’s long-standing position that the unilateral use of force across international borders constitutes a violation of the United Nations Charter and a grave breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty.” Addressing the assessment of the Indus Waters Treaty, Zardari said that bypassing agreed dispute-resolution mechanisms and actions affecting water flows violated Pakistan’s rights and risked creating serious human rights consequences.
President Zardari did not mince words regarding India’s broader conduct, asserting, “India has long stonewalled its minorities and ignored its commitments to international forums such as the United Nations, but this pattern of rogue behaviour cannot continue indefinitely.” He stressed that such actions could not be allowed to persist, echoing the UN experts’ call for accountability and adherence to international norms.
The UN’s report has reignited debate about the fragile peace in South Asia and the importance of upholding international law in a region where the stakes—both human and strategic—could hardly be higher. With the Indus Waters Treaty, a lifeline for millions, hanging in the balance, and the memories of May’s missile strikes still fresh, the world continues to watch India and Pakistan with a wary eye, hoping that diplomacy and dialogue will prevail over confrontation and escalation.
