ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday urged India to immediately restore the Indus Waters Treaty, saying the use of water as a weapon violates international law, while warning that terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan continue to pose a threat to Pakistan’s security.
Addressing a joint press conference with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman in Islamabad, Dar said Pakistan and Croatia agreed to strengthen cooperation in politics, trade, investment, education, culture and defence.
He said both countries would work to finalise agreements, including one on the avoidance of double taxation, and efforts were underway to establish Croatian visa processing facilities in Islamabad to ease travel for Pakistani citizens.
Dar welcomed the growth in bilateral trade and invited Croatian companies to benefit from Pakistan’s investment-friendly policies. He said cooperation in agriculture, research, ports and sustainable development would also be expanded.
He said Pakistan was preparing to reapply for the European Union’s GSP Plus trade scheme in 2027 and both countries had agreed to increase legal employment opportunities for Pakistan’s skilled workforce while jointly combating human trafficking and illegal migration.
On regional issues, Dar said Jammu and Kashmir remained an unresolved dispute on the United Nations agenda and called on India to fully restore the Indus Waters Treaty, saying its unilateral suspension violated international agreements.
He said Pakistan had played an important diplomatic role in reducing tensions during the recent Iran-Israel conflict and reiterated that disputes, including the war in Ukraine, should be resolved through dialogue and in accordance with international law.
Dar also said terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan continued to threaten Pakistan’s security and stressed that Afghan territory should not be allowed to be used against any country, particularly Pakistan. He called for stronger international cooperation to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman thanked Pakistan for its hospitality and said his visit would further strengthen bilateral relations.
He said both countries had identified new opportunities for cooperation in technology, healthcare, services and tourism, and that Croatia was taking steps to simplify the visa application process for Pakistani citizens.
He also praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in promoting regional peace and said continued dialogue was essential to addressing global security challenges.
