Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated the categorical national stance that any meddling with Pakistani waters by India will not be tolerated at any cost and will be taken as an act of war. Winding up the debate in Senate over recent escalation between Pakistan and India, he said Pakistan will issue a dossier through its diplomatic missions abroad to highlight the legal aspects of the Indus Water Treaty and impart awareness about India’s impulsive and illegal action of suspending the Treaty.
According to Radio Pakistan, Ishaq Dar emphasized that the Indus Waters Treaty is a matter concerning 240 million lives, and pointed out that the Treaty has never been suspended before, even when Pakistan and India were at full-fledged war against each other in 1965 and 1971. He indicated that holding this international treaty in abeyance under the pretext of an incident, for which there is no evidence against Pakistan, signals India’s malafide intent.
Dar accused India of having a track record of using different incidents for taking unilateral illegal actions, citing the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s internationally recognized disputed territory status in August 2019, just five months after the Pulwama incident. He stated that Pakistan will continue to contest its strong legal, political, and moral standing on the issue, while India’s baseless rhetoric after the Pahalgam incident has collapsed.
He briefed the members of the House about his interactions with foreign ministers and prime ministers of several countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, Qatar, UAE, UK, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Hungary, regarding Pakistan’s principled position on the issue. He highlighted the expression of support from China and Turkiye and thanked the House members for demonstrating unity beyond political affiliations when national security is at stake.
Furthermore, Dar outlined Pakistan’s diplomatic success, noting that the term “Jammu and Kashmir” was included, and the name “Jammu and Kashmir Resistance Front” was excluded from the UN Security Council press release, following Pakistan’s objections. He clarified that the Jammu and Kashmir Resistance Front has not accepted responsibility for the Pahalgam incident, nor is there evidence to support such a claim.
Additionally, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry affirmed that all political parties are united with the security forces against any Indian eventuality, emphasizing the armed forces’ capability to defend the nation. Several other speakers, including Kamil Ali Agha, Dr. Sarmad Ali, and Saifullah Abro, echoed the sentiment of unity and readiness to stand against any threats.
The House has now been prorogued.