Pakistan - India Relationship

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The attack in Pahalgam has taken place while US VP Vance is visiting India.

Back in year 2000, massacre of Sikhs in Chittisinghpura took place when Bill Clinton was in India. Who was behind it?

Former Indian Army General KS Gill explains:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1914673996869853539

 

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Fidato
@tequieremos

“During my visit to India in 2000, some Hindu militants decided to vent their outrage by murdering thirty-eight Sikhs in cold blood. If I hadn’t made the trip, the victims would probably still be alive.”

~ President Clinton in the foreword of Madeleine Albright's 2006 book

 

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Global Conflict Watch
@_ConflictsWatch

Pahlgam is not Uri. It's located almost 100 km away from LoC and beyond snowy mountains on Western side (towards LoC). If Indian Godi media is blaming Pakistan for Pahalgam Terror Attack they must present solid proof & accept the complete intel failure on their side.

What we are witnessing after this attack on Indian media is exact similar jingoism that was witnessed after Palwama attack where Modi decided to use opportunity to carry out misadventure into Pakistan in 2019. Region can't afford a direct clash between two nuclear arch rivals.

Instead of sensationalism and ultra-nationalistic bravado what Indian government must do is to first complete the investigations of this incident and then point fingers. Indian former military officers have exposed how Indian state in past used Sikh massacre to blame Pakistan.

 

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These are the 5 actions India has taken against Pakistan​

Sweeping measures aimed at Pakistan announced following an attack in IIOJK that killed at least 26 tourists.

News Desk
April 24, 2025

India has announced sweeping measures against Pakistan after a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed at least 26 tourists.

In a press briefing after an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri outlined five key decisions under what New Delhi has termed a "decisive response to cross-border terrorism."

1. Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty

Effective immediately, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a World Bank-brokered agreement that governs the sharing of rivers between India and Pakistan. Misri stated the suspension will remain in force until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism."

The treaty grants India control over the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — while Pakistan controls the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Despite decades of conflict, the treaty has remained a rare example of cooperation between the two nations until now.

2. Closure of Attari-Wagah Border Crossing

India has ordered the closure of the Integrated Check Post at Attari, effectively halting all movement across the Attari-Wagah land route. Pakistani nationals who have crossed into India with valid endorsements have been instructed to return by May 1, 2025.

3. Ban on Pakistani Nationals Under SAARC Visas

India has revoked all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) privileges for Pakistani citizens. All SVES visas previously issued to Pakistani nationals are now deemed cancelled, and those currently in India under this visa scheme have been given 48 hours to leave.

4. Expulsion of Pakistani Military Advisors

New Delhi has declared all Pakistani military, naval, and air advisors posted at the Pakistani High Commission as persona non grata, ordering them to leave India within one week. In reciprocity, India will withdraw its own defence advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

5. Reduction in Diplomatic Presence

India has directed Pakistan to reduce the staff strength at its High Commission in New Delhi from the current 55 to 30. India will mirror this downsizing in its diplomatic mission in Islamabad, with the changes expected to take effect by May 1, 2025.

These measures represent a significant escalation in bilateral tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has condemned the violence and expressed condolences, but dismissed any involvement in the attack.

 

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Khawaja Asif warns India can't unilaterally suspend Indus Waters Treaty​

Defence minister says the National Security Committee will decide on an appropriate response to India's actions.

News Desk
April 24, 2025

Following India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and a series of hostile measures after the deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) Pahalgam area, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Wednesday that a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) will be held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Speaking to a private news channel, Asif said, “The National Security Committee will decide an appropriate response to the Indian steps.” He asserted that India could not unilaterally suspend the treaty, noting that the World Bank is also a key stakeholder in the agreement.

“As per the Treaty, India is not in a position to make such a decision alone,” said Asif, warning that Pakistan is fully capable of responding to provocations, as demonstrated during the Abhinandan episode in 2019. “If India takes extreme steps under internal pressure, we are prepared,” he said.

He further dismissed India's allegations of Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam incident, calling them “inappropriate.”

Speaking on another TV channel, Asif reiterated Pakistan’s consistent condemnation of terrorism and said it has been one of the worst victims of the menace. “There should be no ambiguity that we strongly condemn terrorism,” he said, while adding that the possibility of a false flag operation could not be ruled out.

Asif also accused India of sponsoring terrorist activities in Balochistan, harbouring separatists, and supporting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) through its consulates in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar echoed Asif’s sentiments, describing India’s announcements as “inappropriate and lacking seriousness,” and promised a “fitting response.” “The NSC will issue a comprehensive reply tomorrow,” Dar said on the same programme, emphasising that India had provided no credible evidence linking Pakistan to the attack.

Dar accused New Delhi of using Pakistan as a scapegoat for its internal failures. “Blaming others without evidence is unjustified,” he said.

Moreover, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui described the Pahalgam incident as a false flag operation allegedly “orchestrated by the Indian army.”

Siddiqui pointed out India’s pattern of staging such incidents during sensitive international moments. “India has forcefully occupied Kashmir and continuously engaged in acts of terrorism inside Pakistan,” he stated, adding that Pakistani authorities had apprehended Indian spies in the past.

 

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India closes main border crossing with Pakistan after Kashmir attack​

Sean Seddon
BBC News

Reuters

The killing of tourists at a Himalayan beauty spot has triggered mourning and anger in India
India has announced measures targeting Pakistan, a day after 26 people were killed by gunmen in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

They include the closure of the main border crossing linking the two countries, the suspension of a water-sharing treaty and the expulsion of diplomats.

India has also cancelled some visas held by Pakistanis and ordered holders to leave within two days, while demanding Pakistan renounces "support for cross-border terrorism" - something Islamabad denies.

Tuesday's killing of tourists gathered at a Himalayan beauty spot in Pahalgam was one of the deadliest incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir in recent years.

There has been a long-running insurgency in the Muslim-majority region for several decades.

The Indian government has responded furiously to the attack and has signalled it holds Pakistan indirectly responsible.

Indian security agencies believe a group called the Kashmir Resistance was behind the attack, though BBC News has not independently verified that.

A manhunt for the gunmen responsible was continuing on Wednesday evening.

Pakistan's government said its National Security Council - the country's highest military and security body - would meet on Thursday.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Pakistani foreign ministry said it was "concerned at the loss of tourists' lives" and expressed condolences.

India has long accused successive governments in Islamabad of supporting armed groups in the region, which Pakistan strongly denies.

Under the measures announced by India on Wednesday, Pakistani military advisers based at the Delhi embassy were told to leave immediately, and more diplomatic expulsions are planned for next week, a statement said.

The Pahalgam attack risks reigniting long-running tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.
In a statement, the Indian government said "the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account".

It said India would be "unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible".

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also signalled India's response would go beyond targeting the perpetrators.

He said: "We will not only reach those who have perpetrated this incident but also those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to commit such acts on the soil of India."
The attack has been widely condemned by international leaders and has generated outrage and mourning in India.

Eyewitnesses have described chaotic and bloody scenes as holidaymakers including entire families fled for their lives.

Some witnesses said it appeared the gunmen targeted non-Muslims but others have described the shooting as random.

Most of the victims were Hindu men, though a local Muslim man was among the victims.
India's government has not given an official account on whether people were targeted on the basis of religion.

 

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PM Shehbaz convenes emergency NSC meeting after India suspends Indus Waters Treaty​

BR Web Desk
April 23, 2025


Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) for Thursday morning in response to the Indian government’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, along with other announcements following an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The announcement was confirmed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a late-night post on X, formerly Twitter.

The NSC – Pakistan’s highest forum for security and foreign policy matters – will convene to formulate an official response. The NSC includes military chiefs, intelligence heads, and key cabinet ministers.

India’s top career diplomat earlier Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi that the border crossing at Attari-Wagah border “will be closed with immediate effect”, adding that those with valid travel documents may return before May 1.

“The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”, Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi, apparently blaming Pakistan for the Tuesday’s attack in which twenty-six people were killed and 17 were injured when gunmen opened fire at tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam area.

The defence advisers in the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave, Misri said, adding that the overall strength of the Indian high commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 from 55.

The main border crossing checkpost between the two countries will be closed with immediate effect and Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under special visas, Misri said.

Pakistan said on Wednesday that it was concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of the IIOJK.

 

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Trade, ties and flights off-limits as Pakistan retaliates to India’s moves​

NSC meeting warns any Indian attempt to stop or divert flow of water under Indus Waters Treaty would be "act of war".

Dawn.com | Reuters | AFP
April 24, 2025


Pakistan on Thursday announced the closure of the Wagah Border, amid other measures, following a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) convened to formulate a response to India’s slew of aggressive measures against the country in the wake of an attack in India-held Kashmir that claimed over two dozen lives.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting, which was attended by top civil and military leadership and is deliberating “upon [the] internal and external situation arising after the Pahalgam false flag operation”.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the participants of the meeting discussed the national security environment and the regional situation, particularly in the wake of Pahalgam attack.

“Expressing concern over the loss of tourists’ lives, the committee reviewed the Indian measures announced on 23rd April 2025 and termed them unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit,” the statement added.

The full text of the statement can be read here.

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What we know so far:

• India suspends Indus Waters Treaty, further downgrades diplomatic ties after gunmen kill 26 in held Kashmir tourist hotspot
• Pakistani leaders rebuke allegations, term it ‘false flag operation’, call Delhi’s move ‘water warfare’
• PM Shehbaz chairing top security body’s meeting to mull response
• Modi vows to pursue attackers to ‘ends of the Earth’
• India suspends Pakistani govt’s X account in its country
• Kashmiri students report harassment, attacks in India

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The NSC also announced a series of measures in retaliation to the “reckless and irresponsible behaviour of India, which disregards international conventions, UN Security Council Resolutions and international obligations at will”.

Most prominantely, Pakistan suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement and said it would close the Wagah border with India.

“Pakistan shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India including but not limited to Simla Agreement in abeyance, till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir,” the PMO statement said.

“Pakistan shall close down the Wagah Border Post, with immediate effect. All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception,” the NSC decided, giving an April 30 deadline to those who crossed with “valid endorsements” to return through that route.

“Pakistan vehemently rejects the Indian announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance,” the PMO statement said, noting the pact was a binding international agreement that contained no provision for unilateral suspension.

“Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs,” the NSC stressed.

“Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power,” it warned.

As done by India, Pakistan also suspended all visas under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) issued to Indian nationals and deemed them cancelled with immediate effect, except for Sikh religious pilgrims.

“Indian nationals currently in Pakistan under SVES are instructed to exit within 48 hours, less Sikh pilgrims,” it added.

Pakistan also declared the Indian defence, naval and air advisors in Islamabad persona non grata, directing them to leave “immediately but not later than 30 April 2025”.

“These posts in the Indian High Commission are deemed annulled. Support staff of these advisors are also directed to return to India,” it said, stating that the strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 diplomats and staff members from April 30.

In another step, Pakistan announced closure of its airspace to all India-owned or Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect.

Pakistan further announced the suspension of “all trade with India, including to and from any third country through Pakistan”.

The NSC underscored that Pakistan and its armed forces “remain fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any misadventure, as clearly demonstrated by its measured yet resolute response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019”, the PMO statement added.

“The Pakistani nation remains committed to peace, but will never allow anyone to transgress its sovereignty, security, dignity and their inalienable rights,” the country’s top leadership asserted.

Meanwhile, New Delhi’s foreign ministry announced today that all Pakistani citizens in India must leave the country by April 29.

“In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect,” AFP reported.

“All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended.”

It will not impact Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi, although their numbers were reduced by Indian orders a day earlier.

A day ago, India shut borders, downgraded diplomatic ties and, in an unprecedented move, unilaterally announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) over what the BJP government and media claimed — without offering any evidence — was Islamabad’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.

Today, Indian and international media, quoting India-held Kashmir’s Anantnag Police, reported that two of the suspected attackers were Pakistani and belonged to the banned Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT).

Pakistan has denied any role in the attack and offered condolences for the loss of lives.

On Thursday morning, Indian media reported that the Modi-led regime had blocked the Pakistani government’s X account in the country and summoned the Pakistani charge d’affaires in New Delhi.

Among the Indian measures it announced, the IWT’s suspension stood out as the most severe. The 1960 pact, brokered by the World Bank, has endured through wars and decades of hostility. Its suspension, therefore, marked a watershed moment in the already fraught relationship between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

India further downgraded diplomatic ties by closing down the main border transit point, framing the attack as a grave provocation that warranted significant diplomatic, economic, and logistical pressure on Pakistan.

The attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in India-occupied Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors every summer. Gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people — all men from across India except one from Nepal — and injuring 17 others. It was the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000.

A hitherto unknown group, named by several Indian outlets as ‘The Resistance Front’, is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Meeting of the National Security Committee starts,” a statement from the information ministry said shortly after 12:30pm.

A statement from the PM Office said that “important decisions were expected in the context of India’s unilateral and irresponsible actions as a result of the current situation” in occupied Kashmir.

 

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Tensions escalate as India-Pakistan announce tit-for-tat measures​

As we wrap up our live coverage, here’s a quick look at the measures India announced against Pakistan following the deadly attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

• Suspension of the landmark Indus Waters Treaty which allowed for the sharing of river waters between the neighbours
• Shutting of a key border crossing with Pakistan that allowed for the movement of people and goods
• Suspension of all visa services for Pakistani nationals
• Declaring military advisers in the Pakistani high commission in Delhi as ‘persona non grata’, ordering them to leave within a week
• Reducing the number of Pakistani diplomats in India to 30 from 55 from 1 May.

In response, Pakistan has hit back with an almost identical set of reciprocal measures against Delhi:

• Rejection of India’s suspension of the water treaty, saying any attempt to stop or divert the water “will be considered as an Act of War"
• Suspension of all visas issued to Indian nationals under an exemption scheme with immediate effect
• Suspension of all bilateral agreements with India
• Reduction in the number of diplomats in the Indian high commission in Islamabad to 30
• Closure of Wagah border with immediate effect
• Closure of Pakistani air space to all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines
• Suspension of all trade with India

 

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Here's what's happened so far​

If you're just joining us, here's a recap:

• PM Modi has promised retribution in his first public comments since the attack. "India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers and we will pursue them to the ends of the Earth," he said, adding that the "terrorists behind the killings, along with their backers, will get a punishment bigger than they can imagine".
• Police have issued a notice naming three of the four suspected gunmen behind the attack, saying two of the men are Pakistani citizens while the third is a local Kashmiri man.
• Around 1,500 people across Kashmir have been detained for questioning, top police sources have told the BBC.
• As bodies of victims arrive in their home states, they are being given emotional farewells by their families and loved ones.
• Meanwhile, reports are coming in from parts of India of Kashmiri students facing harassment in the aftermath of the killings.
• India is to hold an all-party meeting later today to discuss the attack.
• Pakistan is also holding a meeting of its security officials to discuss the attack and its aftermath

 

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Simla Agreement 1972: Key points and exit implications​

More than fifty years after it was signed, the agreement is in the headlines once again following the Pahalgam attack.

News Desk
April 25, 2025

In the wake of the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the 1972 Simla Agreement is once again in the spotlight — more than fifty years after it was signed.

Born out of the ashes of the 1971 war, the agreement marked a rare moment of diplomatic clarity between India and Pakistan.

In the Himalayan town of Simla that July, both nations met not only to formalise a ceasefire but to reshape the contours of future engagement

Backdrop

The 1971 Indo-Pak war had ended in the secession of East Pakistan, which then became the independent state of Bangladesh. More than 90,000 Pakistani troops were taken as Prisoners of War (PoWs).

It was in this context that India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan's President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto — met in Simla. Bhutto, charismatic yet burdened by defeat, sought a face-saving deal. Gandhi, politically confident, sought a durable peace.

Key features of the agreement

The Simla Agreement outlined several core principles:

• Bilateral Resolution of Disputes
  Both countries agreed that future disputes — including Kashmir — would be resolved peacefully and bilaterally, without third-party intervention.
• Respect for the Line of Control (LoC)
  The agreement converted the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir into the Line of Control (LoC) and committed both sides to respect it without attempting to alter it unilaterally.
• Commitment to Peaceful Relations
  Both sides agreed to refrain from the threat or use of force and to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
  
  
  
• Return of Prisoners and Troops
  India agreed to release over 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war, while Pakistan accepted the return of territory captured during the war.
• Steps Toward Normalisation
  The agreement encouraged both governments to take steps to restore communications, economic ties, and diplomatic relations, disrupted during conflict.

Shifting ground in diplomacy

Analysts argue that the Simla Agreement subtly but significantly changed the dynamics of Indo-Pak relations.

Challenges and limitations​

Despite its intent to establish a foundation for long-term peace, the Simla Agreement has faced several challenges over the decades.

• Kashmir Dispute Remains Unresolved
  The agreement framed the resolution of outstanding issues, including Kashmir, within a bilateral framework. However, this approach has seen limited progress and has excluded third-party mediation, which some observers argue has constrained potential diplomatic avenues.
• Recurring Violations
  Both India and Pakistan have, at times, acted in ways that contradict the spirit of the agreement. These include cross-border incidents, military engagements along the Line of Control, and periodic diplomatic downgrades.
• Lack of Enforcement Mechanism
  The Simla Agreement does not include a formal structure to enforce compliance. As a result, breaches typically result in political criticism rather than concrete consequences or resolutions.

Impact of ending deal

If the agreement is formally suspended or canceled, it could undermine India's bilateral-only position and reopen the door for international involvement. Here's how:

• Diplomatic Leverage: Without the agreement binding both countries to private dialogue, Pakistan can argue that India has left no viable bilateral channel — thus justifying the need to bring in neutral mediators or international bodies.
• UN Resolutions Reinvoked: Pakistan could return to pre-1972 UN Security Council resolutions, especially the call for a plebiscite in Kashmir, which have been largely shelved under the bilateral understanding of Simla.
• Global Advocacy: It gives Pakistan room to internationalise the conflict in public and diplomatic campaigns, appealing to allies, rights groups, and foreign parliaments with stronger moral or legal weight.

 

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Pahalgam: Two Indian operatives are among those killed in Pahalgam on Tuesday.

One of the dead has been identified as Manish Ranjan - an Indian intelligence officer reportedly involved in organising and directing acts of overseas terrorism.

Another Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer, had just been married four days earlier in Karnal, Haryana.

His presence in a conflict zone so soon after his wedding raises serious questions about the true nature of his mission.

No official response has been issued by Indian authorities yet, as pressure mounts for them to explain their officers' clandestine presence in Pahalgam, occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

 

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India gives army ‘operational freedom’ to respond to Pahalgam attack​

AFP | APP
April 29, 2025

An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard at Hapatnar in Anantnag district south of occupied Kashmir on April 29. — AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given India’s military “operational freedom” to respond to a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir last week, a senior government source told AFP on Tuesday, after New Delhi blamed it on arch-rival Pakistan, albeit without proof.

A week after the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years, Modi on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with army and security chiefs, during which he told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”, said the government source, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

The government released video images of a stern-faced Modi meeting with army chiefs, as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Also on Tuesday, India’s army said it had repeatedly traded gunfire with Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC). The two neighbours have been trading fire across the LoC for five days now, with each blaming the other for provocation.


The Pakistan Army did not confirm the shooting, but state media reported on Tuesday it had shot down an Indian drone, calling it a violation of its airspace.

It did not say when the incident happened, and there was no comment from New Delhi.

India alleged the “Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked small arms firing across the LoC” overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the fifth night in a row that fire was exchanged there.

The Indian army said its troops had “responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation”. There were no reports of casualties.

PM Shehbaz urges UN chief to ‘counsel India’ to ‘exercise restraint’​

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres held calls today with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India’s foreign minister to express “deep concern at rising tensions”, his spokesman said.

The UN chief “underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences. He offered his good offices to support de-escalation efforts”, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

During the telephone call, the prime minister affirmed that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while highlighting the significant sacrifices rendered by the country in the global war against terror.

While rejecting Indian accusations against Pakistan as “baseless”, the prime minister categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident.

He expressed serious concerns over India’s attempts to delegitimise the Kashmiri freedom struggle by using the bogey of terrorism, as well as its widely documented state-sponsored terrorism in occupied Kashmir.

He particularly highlighted India’s weaponisation of the waters of the Indus Basin as unacceptable, while noting that water was the lifeline of 240 million people.






While underscoring that Pakistan would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India, the prime minister encouraged the UN chief to counsel India to “act responsibly and exercise restraint”.

He emphasised that the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir remained the root cause of instability in South Asia, and urged the UN chief to play his role for its just resolution, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment towards fostering international peace and security as a responsible member of the international community and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The UN chief appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace in South Asia and said that the world could not afford any escalation in the region at the crucial time.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in occupied Kashmir on April 22 in which 26 men were killed.

Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire and diplomatic barbs, as well as expelled citizens and ordered the main land border crossing shut.

Last week, Modi vowed to pursue those who carried out the attack in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam and those who had supported it.

“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” he said on Thursday.

“We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth”.

The bellicose statements have prompted worries of a rapid spiral into military action, with several nations, including neighbouring China, calling for restraint and dialogue.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.

Freedom fighters in the Indian-occupied area have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men accused of carrying out the attack — two alleged Pakistanis and an Indian — who they claim are members of the Lashkar-i-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.

They have announced a two million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man’s arrest and carried out sweeping detentions seeking anyone suspected of links to the alleged killers.

The worst attack in recent years in occupied Kashmir was at Pulwama in 2019, when a person rammed a car packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35.

Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later. The next day, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across the LoC from Pakistani airspace.

Iran has already offered to mediate and Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.

US President Donald Trump downplayed tensions, saying on Friday the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.