Mansukh Mandaviya rebuts Pakistan on IWT and Kashmir at Doha Summit, showcases India’s social security triumph

Mansukh Mandaviya

India on Wednesday hit back at Pakistan for its latest remarks on the Indus Waters Treaty, accusing Islamabad of “sustained hostility and cross-border terrorism” that have undermined the spirit of the agreement.

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, speaking at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, said Pakistan had also “repeatedly misused the Treaty mechanisms to obstruct India’s legitimate projects.”

Mandaviya’s sharp response came a day after Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari claimed that his country faced “a new threat in the form of weaponisation of water.”

“We take strong objection to certain unjustified references made by the President of Pakistan yesterday on India in his remarks,” Mandaviya said. “This is an abuse of an international forum to distract the world from focusing on social development by peddling disinformation against India. We wish to set the record straight.”

In reference to Jammu and Kashmir, Mandaviya asserted that Pakistan has “no locus standi to comment on India’s internal affairs.” He added, “This is particularly so when it indulges in acts of cross-border terrorism against the citizens of India.”

Calling Pakistan’s remarks hypocritical, Mandaviya urged Islamabad to focus on its domestic problems rather than using global platforms for political posturing. “Pakistan would do well to introspect and address its own serious challenges related to development which has made it dependent on hand-outs by the international community. It should stop abusing international forums,” he said.

At the same event, Mandaviya highlighted India’s achievements in social development, noting that the country’s social security coverage has expanded from 19 percent in 2015 to 64.3 percent in 2025. He added that the International Social Security Association had earlier this year conferred India with the “ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security.”

The minister also underlined India’s employment gains, stating that between 2017–18 and 2023–24, the unemployment rate declined from 6 percent to 3.2 percent while women’s employment nearly doubled.

“Millions of women have been mobilised into Self Help Groups. Credit disbursements have supplemented the strength of these women-led local institutions,” Mandaviya said.

“Central to our efforts is the focus on seamless delivery of these programmes. Through a network of bank accounts, mobile internet ownership and unique citizen IDs, we have ensured efficient last-mile delivery through Direct Benefit Transfer,” he added.