Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India but is not desperate, insisting that talks must be comprehensive and include critical issues like terrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty.
Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, Dar warned that any attempt by India to divert or block Pakistan’s water would be considered an act of war, citing international law protections for the treaty.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated recently after India unilaterally suspended the treaty and launched missile strikes inside Pakistan, causing civilian and military casualties. In response, Pakistan struck Indian defense targets, downed six Indian fighter jets and a UAV, leading to the worst military standoff in decades.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the 87-hour conflict, but relations remain strained. Dar criticized India’s political rhetoric ahead of its general elections and said the “new normal” policy had collapsed, with the world seeing the limits of India’s regional dominance.
Dar highlighted Pakistan’s military and diplomatic response, which earned international support, including a high-level parliamentary delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to present Pakistan’s position abroad.
PM Shehbaz Sharif also visited several allies — Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, with a visit to Saudi Arabia scheduled.
Dar concluded by announcing that Pakistan will preside over the UN Security Council next month, focusing on peaceful conflict resolution and multilateralism.
