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Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
'Don't do unto others what you don't want done to you': Victor Gao warns India
Listen to article Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization Victor Gao said the Indus Waters Treaty must be respected in letter and spirit, and warned against using water as a tool of coercion. 'Never use the Indus River as blackmail against the people of Pakistan,' he remarked. 'Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.' In an interview with an Indian news channel, he called for regional cooperation on water sharing and criticised any unilateral moves to divert shared water resources. He reaffirmed China's commitment to its 'iron-clad friendship' with Pakistan, stressing that Beijing will not tolerate any attempts to undermine Pakistan's legitimate interests, particularly with regard to the peaceful use of Indus River waters under the long-standing treaty with India. 'China and India need to come up with a protocol so that the waters of the Brahmaputra can be better managed,' he said, referring to recent concerns over India's river management policies. 'This becomes more important in light of Indian government's attempt to divert water from rivers to Pakistan.' He underscored the geographical reality that most major rivers in South Asia originate in Tibet, placing China in a strategic position in terms of regional water diplomacy. 'China is in the upper stream, India in the midstream. It is not appropriate for India to interfere unilaterally with shared waters,' he said. Gao expressed hope that China, India, and Pakistan would be able to engage in dialogue on equitable water sharing in both the western (Indus) and eastern (Brahmaputra) river systems. 'Only through mutual understanding and cooperation can the region ensure the sustainable and peaceful use of these vital resources,' he concluded. Read more: Victor Gao shuts down Indian General Bakshi over anti-Pakistan terrorism taunt The statement should be seen in the backdrop of India's recent decision to "hold in abeyance" the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a 1960 World Bank-mediated agreement governing the distribution of the Indus river system's resources. Under the treaty, Pakistan holds rights to the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India controls the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers. Islamabad has warned that any attempt by India to divert or obstruct Pakistan's share of water would be treated as "an act of war," with a commitment to employ all elements of national power in response.
Arab News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan urges Security Council to de-escalate tensions, says dialogue ‘only way' to resolve issues
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has urged the UN Security Council to de-escalate Islamabad's tensions with New Delhi, stating that dialogue is the 'only way' to resolve issues between the nuclear-armed nations, state-run media reported on Tuesday. A special UN Security Council session to discuss surging tensions between Pakistan and India was convened in New York on Monday at Islamabad's request. The meeting took place as fears of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan loom after ties deteriorated last month following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. India has accused Pakistan of backing the Apr. 22 attack which took place in Pahalgam, a tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has denied involvement and asked for evidence which New Delhi has so far not publicly shared. Both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, taken diplomatic measures against each other, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut. 'Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council to take steps to de-escalate tensions in South Asia for global and regional peace,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. The state broadcaster said Ahmad told reporters after the session ended that India's recent steps are a 'threat to peace and stability in the region and dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.' Ahmad informed Security Council members that Pakistan is ready to take part in any independent and neutral investigation into the Pahalgam attack, Radio Pakistan said. He also raised the issue of India suspending the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance unilaterally. India suspended the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty a day after the Pahalgam attack, saying the suspension would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' Pakistan has described the suspension of the treaty as an 'act of war' and vowed to respond with full force to any attempts to divert or stop its water flow. The flare-up and exchanges of small arms fire between India and Pakistan across their de facto border in Kashmir has alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue. Pakistan has assured foreign capitals and friendly nations that it would not be the first one to strike, according to officials. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday night, Radio Pakistan reported, to discuss Pakistan's ongoing tensions with India. Guterres briefed Sharif on his outreach efforts for peace and stability in the region, expressing his commitment to remain engaged with all interlocutors on the issue. Sharif appreciated the UN secretary-general's continued engagement and outreach efforts and welcomed his call for de-escalation, the state-run media reported. Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
Arab News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan intends to brief UN Security Council on recent standoff with India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, has tasked the country's envoy to the United Nations (UN) to take measures to summon a Security Council meeting for a briefing on heightened tensions with India since an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Sunday. Tensions have soared between Pakistan and India to the highest point in recent years after New Delhi blamed the attack, which killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, on Islamabad. Pakistan has denied the allegation and called for a credible international investigation. The nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other's diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad, amid reports of skirmishes along their de facto border in Kashmir. The Pakistani foreign ministry said Islamabad has decided to formally brief the UNSC on the current situation in South Asia and Dar has instructed Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, to arrange for it. 'Pakistan will inform the UN Security Council about India's aggressive actions, provocations and inflammatory statements,' the foreign ministry said. 'Pakistan will clarify how India's aggressive actions are jeopardizing peace and security in South Asia and beyond the region.' Islamabad will specifically highlight at the UNSC meeting India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farmland, according to its foreign ministry. India suspended the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty a day after the Pahalgam attack, saying the suspension would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' Pakistan has described the suspension of treat as an 'act of war.' Public anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers 'to the ends of the earth.' A Pakistani minister has said that Islamabad has 'credible intelligence' that India is planning to attack Pakistan within days. Pakistani and Indian troops have exchanged fire along their de facto border in Kashmir. The disputed region is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory. Top Pakistani leaders have reached out to foreign capitals and senior officials in China, United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and other countries, amid fears that India's possible actions over the April 22 attack may lead to a wider conflict in the region. 'This important diplomatic move is part of Pakistan's efforts to present accurate facts to the international community,' the foreign ministry added.
Arab News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan will strike any Indian structure built to divert its water, minister says
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will destroy any structure built by India to divert its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over an attack in the Kashmir region. India suspended on April 23 the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' The development came a day after an attack killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pahalgam tourist town. India said two of the three militants who attacked tourists were from Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation and said any attempt to stop or divert the flow of Pakistan's water will be considered an 'act of war.' Speaking to a private news channel on Friday night, Asif said diverting Pakistan's water was also a 'face of aggression' against the country and entire nations could die of thirst and hunger because of it. 'That will be aggression against Pakistan,' he said. 'So, even if they made an architectural attempt of this kind, then Pakistan will destroy that structure.' Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, according to the Indus Waters Treaty. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes. Asif's comments came hours after Pakistan's top generals blamed the April 22 attack on New Delhi's 'governance failures' and its strategy of using such incidents for political gains, warning Pakistani security forces were ready to respond to any attack on the country's sovereignty. Pakistan Army's top brass gathered at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Friday to review the geo-strategic environment, with a particular focus on the Pakistan-India standoff and the broader regional security situation, the military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. 'The Forum noted, with serious concern, India's consistent pattern of exploitation of crises to achieve political and military objectives. They have been following a predictable template — whereby internal governance failures are externalized,' the ISPR said. 'These incidents have often coincided with unilateral moves by India to alter the status quo, as seen in 2019 when India similarly exploited the Pulwama incident to unilaterally alter the status quo of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, through revocation of Article 370,' it added. The 2019 Pulwama attack killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and was also blamed on Pakistan before New Delhi revoked the region's special constitutional status to integrate it in the Indian union, a move repeatedly condemned by Islamabad. Tensions have been high in the South Asian region since last week's attack in Kashmir, a situation exacerbated by retaliatory actions between the two nuclear-armed rivals, including the expulsion of diplomats and citizens, border closures and airspace shutdowns. Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947. On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with envoys from Gulf allies and briefed them on Islamabad's stance regarding the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking to defuse tensions. The international community has encouraged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through dialogue.
Arab News
02-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
PM says no ‘conceivable advantage' for Pakistan in Indian-administered Kashmir attack
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan would gain no 'conceivable advantage' by involving itself in an incident like the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir at a time when it is on the path to economic stability, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday, amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi over the attack that killed 26 people on April 22. India has accused Pakistan of backing the attack, which Islamabad denies. The nuclear-armed rivals have since expelled each other's diplomats and citizens, ordered the border shut and closed their airspace to each other. New Delhi has also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad. Soldiers on each side have also exchanged fire along their de facto border, driving tensions between India and Pakistan to their highest point in recent years. The situation prompted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to call senior officials in India and Pakistan this week in an effort to defuse the crisis. The tensions come at a time when Pakistan is treading a long, tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program since averting a default on its foreign debt obligations in 2023. Islamabad has reached out countries in Central Asia and beyond to boost trade as economic indicators significantly improved in the South Asian country. 'Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and underscored the nation's sacrifices in the war against terror,' PM Sharif said in his conversation with Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, underscoring his nation's hard-earned economic gains over the past year. 'Pakistan would gain no conceivable advantage by involving itself in any such incident at a time when it was on the path to economic stability.' Sharif reiterated his call for a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation into the Pahalgam attack, expressing concerns over India's 'weaponization of the waters of the Indus Basin.' India on April 23 suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' Islamabad has described India's move as an 'act of war.' In his conversation with the Pakistan premier, the Qatari emir his country wanted to work with Pakistan toward ensuring the de-escalation of the current crisis. Public anger has swelled in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers 'to the ends of the earth.' A Pakistani minister has said that Pakistan has 'credible intelligence' that India is planning to attack it within days. Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told CNN on Thursday that India had failed to provide a shred of proof of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam incident. 'India, after Pahalgam incident, blamed Pakistan without any evidence, but Pakistan has offered a fair and transparent investigation to the matter,' he said, adding that New Delhi had used such incidents as pretexts to attack Pakistan in the past. 'This is not the first time, they have done this before in the past, exploiting such incidents to their advantage.' On Thursday, Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, reviewed a military training exercise by the armed forces in the eastern Punjab province, the military said. It said in a statement that the 'exercise was meticulously designed to validate combat readiness, battlefield synergy, and the operational integration of cutting-edge weapon systems under near-battlefield conditions.' 'Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response,' the statement quoted Munir as saying. 'While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute.' The Indian army in a statement on Thursday said it responded to 'unprovoked' small arms fire from Pakistan in the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The previous day, Pakistan's state-run media said Indian forces had violated the ceasefire agreement along the de facto border in Kashmir by initiating fire with heavy weapons on troops in the Mandal sector of Azad Kashmir. The incidents could not be independently verified. The region of Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the Himalayan territory. The United Nations (UN) has urged the arch-rivals to talk, while China, which shares its border with both India and Pakistan, this week repeated its call on both sides to 'exercise restraint.' Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to 'prevent an escalation,' while Iran has offered to mediate the crisis.
