Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday reiterated that the “illegal and unilateral” move to keep the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) on hold is a “real threat” to regional stability while addressing the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum Round Table in Brussels.
In April, India suspended the IWT following the stroke in Pahalgam in occupied Kashmir, in which 26 people died, an incident that New Delhi attributed to Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan called any attempt to suspend its participation in the water is an “act of war,” noting that the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. He later said that it was considering legal action, alleging a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Speaking today at the EU forum in the Belgian capital, Dar emphasized that water must be a source of cooperation “and not a weapon for politics.”
“We believe that lasting peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without a peaceful resolution of the decades-old Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir,” Dar said.
On the issue of Afghanistan, the foreign minister stated that the country “remains an important relationship for Pakistan and regional stability.”
Pakistan’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan have also come under strain in recent times as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains the main point of contention between the two countries. Pakistan has demanded that Kabul rulers take steps to stop cross-border terrorism.
“We wish for a peaceful, stable, friendly, connected and prosperous Afghanistan. We urge the Afghan Taliban regime to act responsibly, fulfill its commitments and work to eradicate terrorism from its soil,” Dar reiterated.
In reference to Israel and Gaza, the DPM said that the situation in the Middle East “affects us all directly.”
“Pakistan commends the efforts of President Trump, together with eight Islamic Arab countries, including Pakistan, leading to the signing of the peace agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh, announcing a ceasefire,” he said.
“The ongoing atrocities in Gaza and violations of the peace agreement must end, as well as the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands,” he added.
“Our foreign policy is based on the importance of a credible, time-bound political process consistent with relevant policies. [UNSC] resolutions, leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital,” Dar emphasized.
The Foreign Minister also spoke about the conflict in Ukraine, which he noted has disrupted energy and food markets, “with real consequences for people around the world.”
He said Islamabad’s position on the conflict is rooted in the UN Charter. “We hope for a peaceful resolution of this conflict as soon as possible. The cooperation model adopted by the [EU] “It offers many lessons for the international community, demonstrating that inclusion and interdependence are the surest foundations of peace and prosperity.”
