Pakistan stresses diplomacy, SCO engagement, rejects India’s claims on Indus Waters Treaty

ISLAMABAD, Oct 1 (APP): Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its commitment to dialogue and diplomacy for resolving regional disputes, while rejecting India’s attempts to cast doubt on the recent Court of Arbitration award on the Indus Waters Treaty.

Addressing media at the weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan remained committed to a rules-based international system and maintained that dialogue and diplomacy were the only viable means of ensuring peace and stability in the region.

The spokesperson said Pakistan, while being a mediator in communication between Iran and the United States, continued to urge both sides to exercise restraint, resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and honour their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

He clarified Pakistan’s position regarding sanctions on Iran, and said that Pakistan was a responsible member of the international community and would continue to adhere to all applicable sanctions regimes in accordance with international and domestic laws.

 “Pakistan highly values its enduring and multifaceted strategic partnership with the United States and remains fully committed to further strengthening its long-standing diplomatic, economic and security ties with Washington,” he said.

The spokesperson said Pakistan also emphasised its adherence to international practices and established frameworks while maintaining communication with all relevant stakeholders.

On the Indus Waters Treaty, he strongly rejected India’s characterization of the Court of Arbitration as “illegally constituted,” saying the Court had unanimously and firmly affirmed that the treaty remained in full force and binding on both parties.

He said the Court had also affirmed that India was required to observe its treaty obligations concerning the design and operation of hydroelectric projects on the western rivers.

The spokesperson said the Court had imposed measures prohibiting India from concreting specified portions of the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project until 90 days after the Neutral Expert’s final decision, expected around July 2027, besides imposing a reporting measure concerning the project.

He pointed out that the Court of Arbitration had been constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and had previously determined its competence and constitution in accordance with the treaty.

 “India cannot escape from the binding awards of the Court of Arbitration through unilateral pronouncements,” he said.

 On Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, the spokesperson said Pakistan remained keen to develop friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan, but stressed that such relations could only be built on trust, mutual understanding and respect for each other’s sovereignty.

He said Pakistan’s concerns over terrorism emanating from Afghanistan had become a “red line”, particularly as terrorist activity had extended beyond border areas into deeper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Pakistan, he said, remained ready for dialogue, but expected a complete end to the infiltration and activities of terrorist organizations which Islamabad says are supported and facilitated from Afghan territory.

Responding to questions about recent cross-border tensions, the spokesperson said the two sides remained in contact through different channels, while leaving operational details to the Inter-Services Public Relations.

On India-Pakistan engagement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he described the participation of India’s National Coordinator in the recent SCO meeting in Islamabad as a welcome development.

He noted that it was the first visit by a senior Indian official to Pakistan in more than two years and said the official had expressed interest in visiting other Pakistani cities and spoken positively about issues including peace, development, connectivity, trade and transit.

The spokesperson said Pakistan hoped Indian participation would continue in SCO activities throughout its year-long chairmanship.

He also highlighted the first meeting of the SCO Council of National Coordinators, held in Islamabad from September 28-30, saying the meeting reviewed initiatives under Pakistan’s chairmanship and preparations for upcoming meetings.

He said the SCO delegations had also visited the Pakistan National Council of the Arts and Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, where they were briefed on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and preparations for the SCO Hockey Tournament scheduled for November 20 to December 2.

 Regarding participation in the tournament, he said confirmations from member states were still being obtained and that specific participation details were not yet available.

 The spokesperson also condemned what he described as the attempted demolition of portions of the historic Shahi Masjid in Madhya Pradesh and the use of force against Muslims protesting the action.

He urged the international community to take cognizance of what Pakistan considers continued targeting of Muslims and their places of worship in India, and called on Indian authorities to protect minority communities and their religious freedoms.

Turning to the tragic incident involving the hijacked vessel MT Honour 25 off Somalia, the spokesperson confirmed that three Pakistani nationals were among five crew members killed during the recovery operation.

He identified the deceased Pakistanis as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. Three other Pakistani crew members were among those injured and were receiving medical treatment.

He said Pakistani authorities were in contact with Somali authorities and other stakeholders to facilitate medical care, repatriation of the deceased and the safe return of surviving Pakistani crew members.

 The bodies of the deceased Pakistanis were expected to be transported through Addis Ababa, subject to local procedures and medical arrangements, he added.

The spokesperson said Pakistan was also continuing diplomatic engagement with several countries on bilateral and regional matters.

He cited recent contacts between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and his Iranian, Malaysian, Turkish and British counterparts and representatives, as well as the Pakistan-France Joint Security Commission and Pakistan-Denmark Bilateral Political Consultations.

He said these engagements reflected Pakistan’s continued diplomatic outreach, efforts to strengthen bilateral partnerships and active multilateral engagement.

The spokesperson also said the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister would brief the media on Friday regarding his engagements during the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He said questions specifically related to those engagements would therefore be addressed by the foreign minister himself.

Concluding the briefing, the spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan sought peaceful and cooperative relations with its neighbours while remaining committed to safeguarding its national security and pursuing diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving regional disputes.