ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed grave concern over recent provocative statements made by India’s Defense Minister, warning that such rhetoric could have severe consequences for regional peace and stability.
In his weekly media briefing in Islamabad, FO Spokesperson Ambassador Tahir Andrabi emphasized that these remarks had raised alarms among organizations committed to upholding peace, security, and international law.
He called on India to refrain from making further provocative statements, cautioning that they could destabilize not just the region but international security as a whole. Pakistan, he added, welcomed all statements that opposed India’s inflammatory remarks, reinforcing Islamabad’s belief that such comments would only serve to escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The spokesperson also turned attention to India’s recent failure to share crucial data in connection with the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the use of the Indus River system. Andrabi described India’s refusal to follow the established procedures for data-sharing as a serious violation of the 1960 agreement.
He emphasized that this non-compliance posed a major concern, as it undermines bilateral cooperation on one of the region’s most critical resources, water. Furthermore, he highlighted that India’s actions, combined with increasingly aggressive rhetoric, seemed to point toward the weaponization of water, a move that Pakistan views as a breach of international law, particularly international humanitarian law.
Responding to questions about the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Andrabi clarified that the arrangement should not be viewed as a traditional ceasefire between two states engaged in conflict. Rather, it was an agreement intended to halt terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil, particularly from groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other insurgents operating across the border.
Despite this understanding, Pakistan has continued to face significant terrorist attacks, including several incidents in the capital, Islamabad, which Andrabi indicated suggested that the ceasefire was not holding as expected. He emphasized that while the ceasefire was intended to cease cross-border terrorism, the recent uptick in attacks, many of which involved Afghan nationals, undermined confidence in the agreement’s effectiveness.
Ambassador Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to defend its security, noting that the country’s military remains on high alert in response to the growing threat of terrorism from Afghanistan. Pakistan, he stated, would not tolerate any attacks emanating from Afghan territory and would continue to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty. Pakistan’s security forces, he stressed, are fully prepared to respond to any threats with the seriousness they deserve.
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