FO rejects Indian claims on AJK, urges focus on Kashmir issue

The Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday termed the statement by the Indian minister on blocking water to Pakistan as “deeply irresponsible” and warned that any deliberate attempt to block water would constitute an extremely grave act with far-reaching consequences.

“Any deliberate attempt to block water essential to Pakistan’s survival and development would constitute an extremely grave act with far-reaching consequences. As stated at the top leadership level by Pakistan, any such act would be treated with utmost seriousness and could possibly amount to an act of war, said Andrabi during the weekly press briefing.

The statement came after Indian Minister of Water CR Patil said India was working to ensure “not a single drop of water” would flow into neighbouring Pakistan.

“It is certain, not a single drop of water will go (to Pakistan) in the coming years,” Patil, speaking in Hindi, said that India is “actively working on it” after “directives” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Andrabi, during today’s news conference, said under Article 51 of the UN Charter, every state retained the inherent right to self-defence.

“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its economy and its vital national interests and the lives of its 250 million people. We call upon India to act responsibly, honour its international commitment and refrain from statements and actions that could further escalate tensions in the region,” he said.

He said that Pakistan remained committed to safeguarding its interests, as “I said, and we will closely monitor developments on the ground in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and elsewhere from where these water resources emerge.

Andrabi further said that Pakistan firmly rejected any notion that water can be treated as a political tool or instrument of coercion or a weapon.

“Such actions would threaten not just regional peace and security of South Asia and beyond, and the responsibility of such a threat to international peace and security would fall squarely on India’s shoulders,” he stated.

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Andrabi said that Pakistan’s rights and interests with respect to its water resources were non-negotiable. “

“We will vigorously defend those rights through all available diplomatic, legal, political, economic and other measures consistent with international law and the UN Charter,” he said.

He said it was “untenable for a state like India, which has consistently denied the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) their right to self-determination, to claim concerns over the rights of Kashmiris”.

He added that India, through such comments, was attempting to “divert attention from the unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir and its own abysmal record in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”.

The spokesperson rejected any comparison between the two sides of the Line of Control (LoC), saying Pakistan “also rejects any insinuation of the false equivalence between the situation in IIOJK and matters relating to AJK”.

He said IIOJK was “an illegally annexed, internationally recognised disputed territory,” where people had “suffered systemic abuses under draconian laws” and had been denied their right to self-determination under UN Security Council resolutions.

By contrast, he said, “the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir… [is being] addressed within a democratic and constitutional framework.” He added, “Any attempt to conflate the two is misleading and does not withstand objective scrutiny”.

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Reiterating Pakistan’s position, he said Islamabad would continue to support “the human rights of Kashmiris, including their inalienable right to self-determination,” and pursue a “peaceful resolution of these eight decades-old disputes in accordance with international law… and the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”

He also urged India to agree to a UN-supervised plebiscite, saying, “If India sincerely believes that the wishes of the Kashmiri people… should prevail… it must uphold their right to self-determination.”

Nuclear concerns

Responding to questions on a recent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, the spokesperson said Pakistan had reviewed the findings and was not surprised.

He said Pakistan “does not wish to endorse or lend credence to SIPRI’s methodology,” but its findings “nevertheless are not surprising”.

Andrabi noted that the report “broadly corroborates concerns that Pakistan has consistently been raising regarding India’s continued vertical proliferation.”The spokesperson added, “We also believe that open-source estimates such as SIPRI may not fully reflect the actual scale of India’s nuclear arsenal, which may actually be higher”.

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He warned that developments in India’s nuclear posture, including missile systems and submarines, could “enhance operational readiness, complicate crisis stability, and carry implications that extend beyond South Asia with grave consequences for international peace and security.”

Pakistan, he said, “does not seek an arms race” but remains “mindful of the evolving security environment” and will take “all measures essential for preserving strategic stability.” He urged the international community to “closely monitor developments and deployments of India’s nuclear arsenal.”

Somali hostage situation

Andrabi also provided updates on Pakistani citizens held hostage on a cargo vessel by Somali pirates, saying they had been in captivity for “almost 50 days”.

He said Pakistan was engaged with Somali authorities, the shipowner, and relevant tribal actors in Puntland to secure their release.

The FO spokesperson also noted that the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar had recently spoken to Somalia’s Foreign Minister, while Pakistan’s ambassador in Somalia had also been engaged. He said efforts included “inter-ministerial, inter-departmental meetings” and continued diplomatic engagement.

Andrabi also said Pakistan was working to improve the living conditions of hostages of multiple nationalities, including Indonesians, Indians, Myanmar and Sri Lankans. He added that Pakistan “feels for the individuals” and their families, but described the situation as “operationally challenging.”

Middle East conflict

In the Middle East, the spokesperson said Pakistan remained “deeply concerned” over the recent escalation and urged all parties to adhere to the ceasefire understandings.

He said Pakistan believed “diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles” for resolving disputes. Andrabi highlighted Pakistan’s engagement with regional actors, including Iran, the United States and Turkey, saying these contacts were aimed at de-escalation.

He noted that Pakistan had facilitated diplomatic engagement, which contributed to a ceasefire understanding between Israel and Lebanon, describing it as a “positive development” achieved with US involvement.

The spokesperson added that Pakistan would continue efforts for peace and stability in the region under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had emphasised remaining on “the path of peace and diplomacy”.