ISLAMABAD, Thursday, April 24, 2025 : In a strong and coordinated policy response, Pakistan on Thursday announced a series of decisive countermeasures against India, following New Delhi’s unilateral move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty\u2014a move Islamabad has termed a \u201cdeclaration of war.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, flanked by key cabinet members, addressed a high-level press conference to brief the nation and international community on the decisions taken during the recent National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the country\u2019s civil and military leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cPakistan remains committed to regional peace and stability, but we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty,\u201d Dar said. \u201cWe are not seeking conflict, but any aggression will be met with a resolute and reciprocal response.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unilateral Treaty Suspension Condemned<\/p>\n
Dar categorically rejected India\u2019s announcement to place the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, calling it a blatant violation of international law and a reckless provocation. \u201cThe treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has been a rare symbol of cooperation between two adversarial neighbors. No clause allows unilateral suspension,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert Pakistan\u2019s rightful share of water under the treaty would be considered an act of aggression and met with full force.<\/p>\n
Sweeping Diplomatic and Economic Retaliation<\/p>\n
Announcing immediate retaliatory measures, Dar declared:<\/p>\n
The closure of the Attari-Wagah border and suspension of all cross-border transit.
\nCancellation of all visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, except for Sikh religious pilgrims.
\nDeclaration of Indian Defence, Naval, and Air Advisors as persona non grata, with orders to leave Pakistan by April 30.
\nA reduction in staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to a maximum of 30 personnel.
\nClosure of Pakistani airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines.
\nSuspension of all trade and transit with India, including third-country routes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia has a long-standing history of manufacturing false flag operations and blame games to justify its aggression. The Pahalgam incident is no exception,\u201d Dar asserted, alleging Indian intelligence support in orchestrating the recent attack in occupied Kashmir.<\/p>\n
Warning on Simla Agreement and Diplomatic Outreach<\/p>\n
Dar also warned that Pakistan may consider suspending other bilateral agreements, including the historic 1972 Simla Agreement, if India continues its unilateral provocations.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that Pakistan had already briefed friendly nations and permanent members of the UN Security Council, proposing amendments to a draft UNSC resolution on regional peace and counter-terrorism. \u201cPakistan remains committed to multilateralism and diplomacy, but will defend its interests through all legal and strategic means,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
UNSC Presidency and International Legal Route<\/p>\n
Highlighting Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic credentials, Dar announced that Pakistan had secured a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2025\u20132026 term with an overwhelming 182-vote majority and will assume the rotating presidency in July 2025.<\/p>\n
Defense Minister Vows to Retaliate Decisively<\/p>\n
Speaking at the press conference, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan and using internal attacks as pretexts for policy moves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia has stationed nearly a million troops in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to suppress the voices of innocent Kashmiris,\u201d he said. \u201cWhenever India faces domestic unrest or elections, they trigger false narratives like the Pulwama attack. The same strategy is being used post-Pahalgam.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled how Pakistan\u2019s military had shot down two Indian jets in 2019 after the Pulwama incident and reaffirmed that the country\u2019s armed forces are ready to respond decisively to any future aggression.<\/p>\n
\u201cPakistan will protect every inch of its land. We are not aggressors, but we will not allow our sovereignty to be violated,\u201d Asif said.<\/p>\n
India Sponsoring Terrorism: Ministers Assert<\/p>\n
The ministers accused India of harboring and financing banned outfits like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and cited the case of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav as evidence of India\u2019s involvement in terrorism inside Pakistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada and the UK have also exposed India\u2019s global terror network,\u201d Asif added.<\/p>\n
Legal Stand on Indus Waters Treaty<\/p>\n
Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized that India has no legal right to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. \u201cThere is no provision in international law or the treaty itself that permits such action. This treaty, protected under the Vienna Convention, cannot be discarded at will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan echoed the minister\u2019s views, stating, \u201cUnless a new treaty is negotiated, any changes or withdrawal from IWT are legally invalid. We will utilize all available international forums to defend our rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Information Minister Denounces India\u2019s ‘Childish’ Behavior<\/p>\n
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed India\u2019s announcement as \u201cchildish and non-serious,\u201d saying it reflected New Delhi\u2019s ignorance of international accords.<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed that all forms of trade with India, including third-party arrangements, had been suspended. \u201cClosing airspace alone will cost Indian airlines millions. We have responded to their empty threats with concrete actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tarar praised Pakistani journalists for effectively countering Indian narratives in international media and reiterated that Pakistan\u2019s position as a frontline state against terrorism was internationally acknowledged.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia\u2019s latest provocations are aimed at diverting global attention from its own failures and human rights abuses in Kashmir,\u201d he said. \u201cPakistan\u2019s firm response will show the world that peace cannot come at the cost of our sovereignty or dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Thursday, April 24, 2025 : In a strong and coordinated policy response, Pakistan on Thursday announced a series of decisive countermeasures against India, following New Delhi’s unilateral move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty\u2014a move Islamabad has termed a \u201cdeclaration of war.\u201d Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, flanked by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[44,45,43,46],"class_list":{"0":"post-4343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"tag-latest","9":"tag-national","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}