0
• Lammy urges de-escalation; PM thanks Pezeshkian for offer to intercede
• Kh Asif calls for int’l probe
• No official word on Nawaz-Shehbaz huddle
ISLAMABAD: The country’s political leadership continued to engage with foreign capitals over the weekend to highlight India’s attempts to cloak its provocative actions and false accusations in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
In separate calls with leaders from China, UK and Iran, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar drew attention to the “baseless propaganda and unilateral measures” taken by New Delhi, including the decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, which is a clear violation of the country’s international obligations.
Mr Dar, who also hold the foreign affairs portfolio, spoke to his counterparts from the UK and China and stressed Islamabad’s unwavering resolve to defend its national interests, while continuing to promote peace and stability in the region.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Mr Dar that Beijing was paying close attention to the evolving situation between Pakistan and India.
He reaffirmed China’s consistent support for Pakistan’s firm counterterrorism efforts.
“As an ironclad friend and an all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.
“China advocates for a swift and fair investigation and believes that conflict does not serve the fundamental interests of either India or Pakistan, nor does it benefit regional peace and stability,” Wang noted.
The Chinese foreign minister, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central committee, hoped that both sides would remain restrained, move toward each other, and work together to de-escalate the situation.
In a separate call with the UK foreign secretary, Mr Dar briefed David Lammy on “India’s false accusations, baseless propaganda, and unilateral measures”, while reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to promote peace and stability in the region.
According to a Foreign Office readout of the call, the UK foreign secretary emphasised the importance of de-escalating the situation through dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues.
Appreciating these efforts, Mr Dar conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to participate in any independent and transparent investigation to ascertain the facts.
Both leaders agreed to maintain active contact regarding the evolving situation.
Call for int’l commission
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called on India to stop levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan.
Speaking to the media in Sialkot, he said the UN Security Council and key regional powers should investigate the Pahalgam incident, warning that if two nuclear powers collided, world peace would also be destroyed.
Calling for the formation of an international commission to investigate the incident, he said that the UN should consider including China, Russia, Iran and Arab countries in the body. Who could better understand the issue than the UK, he said, referring to the region’s colonial past.
He accused Indian PM Narendra Modi of staging a political drama to save his skin, just as he had done after the Pulwama incident in 2019.
Call with Iranian president
Speaking to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, the prime minister shared Pakistan’s position on India’s provocative actions, adding that Pakistan desired peace in the region and would welcome it if Iran also wanted to play a role in this regard.
During their call, the two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in the region, a PM Office statement said. Both also extended invitations to each other to visit their respective countries.
Referring to India’s unilateral decision on the Indus Water Treaty, PM Shehbaz said the use of water as a weapon was unacceptable and Pakistan would defend its right at all costs.
The PM said that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reaffirming that the country had no linkage, either direct or indirect, with the Pahalgam attack, adding that Islamabad was ready for a neutral investigation into the incident.
PM Shehbaz also conveyed Pakistan’s condolences on the loss of precious lives in the tragic explosion at Bandar Abbas, which claimed dozens of the lives and left more than 500 people injured.
Pakistan stood with the brotherly people of Iran at this difficult hour and would extend all possible assistance, the PM said.
Separately, media reports suggested that PM Shehbaz Sharif had met his elder brother, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, at Jati Umrah on Sunday to brief him on the Pahalgam attack and its aftermath.
However, there was no official word from the PM Office or PML-N circles in this regard.
Syed Irfan Raza and our correspondent in Narowal also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2025
