Shehbaz Sharif tells UN chief that Pakistan will defend itself aggressively against Indian provocations

On Tuesday, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif spoke with United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres and discussed recent developments in South Asia.

“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,” a state-run news agency reported.

PM Shehbaz rejected India’s accusations against Pakistan and reaffirmed his demand for an open, impartial investigation into the Pahalgam attack.

PM Shehbaz expressed grave concerns about India’s state-sponsored terrorism in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and its attempts to undermine the Kashmiri liberation movement under the pretext of “terrorism.”

He specifically called attention to India’s indefensible weaponization of the Indus Basin waters, noting that water is the lifeline for 240 million people.

PM Shehbaz underscored that Pakistan will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force if India attempts any misadventure. He also encouraged the UN Secretary-General to advise India to act responsibly and exercise restraint.

“Pakistan will respond with full force to any Indian aggression,” PM Shehbaz added.

He said that “the unresolved issue of Jammu & Kashmir remained the root cause of instability in South Asia, and urged the UN Secretary-General to play his role for its just resolution, by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.”

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

The UN Secretary-General appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace in South Asia and emphasized that the world could not afford any escalation in the region at this crucial time.

On Wednesday, India’s foreign ministry announced that it would suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and close the Attari and Wagah borders. Pakistani nationals will no longer be able to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption.

The Indian foreign ministry also announced that it would recall all its defense attachés from Islamabad.

The Indian foreign ministry maintained that it would reduce the number of diplomatic staff from 55 to 30, instructing military advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to leave within a week.

In a befitting response, Pakistan rejected India’s announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and closed its airspace to Indian flights. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the National Security Committee meeting in Islamabad, where officials discussed Indian aggression.

The participants discussed the national security environment and the regional situation, particularly after the Pahalgam attack in the Anantnag District of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir last Tuesday.

The committee highlighted that the World Bank brokered the Indus Waters Treaty as a binding international agreement, which contains no provision for unilateral suspension.

National Security Committee said in a statement, “Water is a Vital National Interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs”.

“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 added.