Pakistan on Friday unequivocally condemning the Indian illegal acts of violating its sovereignty, said that India’s reckless conduct had brought two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict, and that the country’s jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world.
“Indian actions were a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms governing the inter-state relations. It is most unfortunate that India’s reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict. India’s jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world,” Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said at his weekly press briefing.
He said that India had been violating Pakistan’s sovereignty since May 7 and that Indian strikes against Pakistan had endangered the regional peace and stability.
He said that being a home to over one-fifth of the world population, South Asia could ill-afford the irresponsible actions like the ones being carried out by India.
He said that in the wake of Pahalgam attack, the Indian leadership had once again used the bogey of terrorism to advance its sham narrative of victimhood, jeopardizing regional peace. We once again reject any attempt to link the Pahalgam Attack with Pakistan, he added.
He said that international organizations like the United Nations and OIC had called for exercise of restraint during the last two weeks to which India did not pay heed.
Referring to the Indian foreign secretary’s accusations against Pakistan at a special press briefing, the spokesperson said that alleging Pakistan of escalating the situation through the Pahalgam attack was “totally absurd” as India could not yet produce any credible and verifiable evidence of Pakistan’s involvement.
“The Pakistani forces did not attack Pahalgam but the Indian forces did attack multiple locations in Pakistan. Accordingly, Pakistan reserves the right to take all appropriate measures in its self-defence.”
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif proposed a transparent and independent probe into Pahalgam Attack through neutral investigators but India chose the path of belligerence and aggression.
“Can any country in the world be allowed to attack another country on the basis of a few social media posts? India is attempting to act as a judge, jury and executioner,” he remarked.
Spokesperson Khan told the media that the investigations in Mumbai and Pathankot incidents could not make progress due to India’s non-cooperative attitude which remains reluctant to send 27 key witnesses in Mumbai case to Pakistan for physical appearance before the trial court in Islamabad.
He said that while portraying itself as a victim of terror, India conveniently ignored its own role in planning, sponsoring and abetting terrorism in Pakistan.
“It is no secret that India’s network of targeted assassination and other subversive activities has gone global. Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving officer of Indian Navy, is a living proof of the Indian state’s involvement in terror, subversion and espionage in Pakistan.”
Referring to Samjhota Express tragedy, he said that the culprits, who had links with India’s ruling dispensation, were acquitted.
Terming Indian claims of targeting the terrorists or terrorist infrastructure only, as “patently false” he said the strikes resulted in martyrdom of civilians, including women and children and mosques destroyed.
Also mentioning the damage to Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project, he demanded that India should be held accountable for these crimes. The spokesperson said that the Indus Waters Treaty withstood tests of wars and stand-offs but the current Indian dispensation was bent upon weaponizing water.
“Holding in abeyance of IWT is unilateral and illegal. There are no such provisions in the treaty… It sets a dangerous precedent…Pakistan is an agrarian economy. Millions of people are dependent on the waters being regulated by this Treaty. The Indian decision is equivalent to an attack on the people of Pakistan, and its economy,” he remarked.
He said for Pakistan, the Indian announcement was of no legal consequence as the Treaty remained in force and fully binding on parties.
Regretting the Indian Foreign Secretary’s “indecent and undiplomatic” remarks against Pakistan, he said that unfortunately, India’s ruling dispensation was trying to re-write history, making a number of absurd claims.
“India’s founding fathers must be turning in their graves. We wish to remind them that it was India that took the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the United Nations. Today, how can it renege from its own commitments made to the United Nations, to Pakistan and above all, to the Kashmiri people.”
Spokesperson Khan said that India remained a permanent factor of instability in the region owing to its hegemonic ambitions as the country had constantly been working to destabilise its smaller neighbours besides undermining all efforts to promote regional cooperation.
Asked about the conduct of Indian media, the spokesperson called it “extremely irresponsible, jingoistic and farcical.
“Encouraged by the Indian state, its media tried to create an alarming situation. The repeated pattern of levelling accusations against Pakistan, without any credible investigation, reflects a deliberate strategy to manufacture a pretext for aggression and to further destabilise the region.”
He said that such actions did not only further endanger regional peace but also reveal a disturbing willingness to exploit misinformation for political and military ends.
Commenting about letter by India on suspension of Indus Waters Treaty, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had responded to the Indian letters by conveying that the treaty remained fully in force and is binding on the parties.
“There is no provision in the treaty to hold it in abeyance… The Indian decision is equivalent to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy,” the spokesperson added.
