Multilateral summits rarely offer major surprises, but the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila delivered a fiery diplomatic showdown. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar took the floor in Manila to criticize India on Kashmir and complain about New Delhi putting the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) fired back instantly, dismissing the statements as "baseless and unwarranted" and calling out Islamabad for "cynically exploiting" a platform intended for security cooperation in East Asia.
If you're tracking South Asian geopolitics, this diplomatic clash follows a predictable pattern, but the stakes this time around are notably higher.
What Actually Happened at the Manila Summit
Ishaq Dar attempted to leverage the ARF platform to build international pressure on India. He brought up the long-standing Kashmir conflict, framing it as the central cause of instability across South Asia. He then targeted India's decision to freeze the Indus Waters Treaty, labeling the move an attempt to weaponize water resources.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar—who was in Manila for broader ASEAN-framework discussions—did not let the comments slide. Shortly after, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a blistering rejection.
New Delhi reiterated three core points:
- Territorial Sovereignty: The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh remain integral parts of India, giving Pakistan no locus standi to raise the issue.
- The Indus Waters Treaty Status: The treaty stays frozen until Pakistan takes clear, irrevocable steps to dismantle its cross-border terrorism networks. India specifically cited past terror attacks, including the Pahalgam incident, as direct triggers for holding the agreement in abeyance.
- State Disinformation: India strongly condemned Islamabad's practice of pushing state-sponsored narrative campaigns under religious labels like "Fitna al-Hindustan," describing it as a tactic to distract from Pakistan's ongoing domestic economic and political trouble.
Why Pakistan Keeps Using the Same Playbook
Why bring a bilateral South Asian dispute to an East Asian security summit?
It comes down to narrative management. Facing heavy domestic inflation, political friction, and mounting pressure from international lenders, Islamabad often leans on foreign policy rhetoric to rally support at home. Raising Kashmir on global stages gives the impression of active diplomacy, even when international appetite for intervention is zero.
It rarely works out well in multilateral settings. Regional blocs like ASEAN are built around economic integration, maritime security, and trade logistics. When member states or dialogue partners try to hijack these meetings for hyper-specific bilateral grievances, the room turns cold fast. ASEAN leaders generally prefer neutrality and hate seeing regional summits derailed by regional rivalries.
Why India Took a Zero Tolerance Line on the Indus Waters Treaty
The most crucial detail of India's response was its firm stance on the Indus Waters Treaty. For decades, the IWT survived multiple wars, border skirmishes, and political fallouts, making it one of the most durable water-sharing agreements in modern history.
India's choice to place the agreement in abeyance marks a permanent shift in strategy. New Delhi is no longer treating water rights as completely isolated from national security realities. By linking the treaty directly to Pakistan's support for cross-border terror networks, India has established a clear boundary: normal diplomatic and environmental agreements require basic security cooperation.
Jaishankar emphasized a clear message during the Manila talks: terrorism will have direct, real-world consequences. Until Islamabad dismantles its terror infrastructure, India won't return to business-as-usual negotiations.
What to Watch Next
This diplomatic spat won't be the last time the Kashmir issue or the Indus Waters Treaty gets raised at an international meeting. But New Delhi's swift response in Manila demonstrates that India has no interest in letting Pakistan shape the narrative on foreign soil.
Here is what this means for regional relations over the coming months:
- Diplomatic Friction: Expect India to hold a firm line at upcoming international platforms, shutting down any attempts to internationalize Kashmir.
- Indus Waters Freeze: The Indus Waters Treaty will remain firmly on ice until Islamabad takes verifiable action against militant networks operating within its borders.
- ASEAN Neutrality: ASEAN members will continue prioritizing trade, supply chains, and South China Sea navigation, actively ignoring bilateral spats between South Asian nations.
Pakistan's attempt to use the ASEAN Regional Forum as a megaphone failed to shift the international stance, leaving New Delhi's diplomatic defense intact.
