Pakistan’s response to India was legitimate, in self-defence: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to peace and its resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar Wednesday emphasized that Pakistan’s response was a legitimate exercise of its inherent right to self-defence in response to India’s aggression.

During an in-Camera meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Foreign Affairs, Dar underscored the sanctity of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), stressing that it remained inviolable and could not be unilaterally changed or held in abeyance.

Hina Rabbani Khar chaired the committee meeting in which Dar and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch briefed the committee on India’s recent acts of aggression, Pakistan’s resolute and measured response, and diplomatic dimensions of the crisis.

Dar provided a detailed account of developments following the Pehalgam attack on April 22.

He condemned India’s actions as a blatant violation of international law, bilateral agreements, and multilateral norms fueled by unfounded allegations and provocative rhetoric.

Khar and the committee members commended the nation, government, armed forces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all relevant stakeholders for their effective handling of the crisis.

She emphasized that reckless violation of the international law and principles of the UN Charter could destabilize the region.

She emphasized that India’s aggression had brought the international community’s attention to South Asia as the nuclear flash-point and at the unresolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir to be the root cause of hostilities between the two nuclear armed neighbours.

“As a responsible nation Pakistan always called for dialogue and negotiations to eradicate risk of further escalation,” she said.

The committee also denounced India’s unlawful attempts to hold the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, calling for India to be held accountable at all relevant international and multilateral forums for its unilateral violations of established agreements.

The committee urged proactive measures to safeguard Pakistan’s rightful share of water resources under the existing legal frameworks.

The meeting ended with a commitment to uphold Pakistan’s sovereignty, dignity, and principled position on the global stage.

The meeting was also attended by Danyal Chaudhry, Ms. Nuzhat Sadiq, Syed Mustafa Mehmood, Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan and Muhammad Atif.