Statement by Shehbaz Sharif comes during meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stressed India’s “weaponization” of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty is unacceptable and was a “red line” for his country’s 250 million people, state media reported.
Sharif made the remarks during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
Sharif expressed Pakistan’s deep concerns about rising tensions due to India’s “provocative behavior” following the attack on a Pahalgam tourist resort in the Indian-administered Kashmir which left 26 people dead on April 22.
He firmly rejected “any attempt” to link Pakistan to the attack without evidence, stressing that Islamabad had proposed an international, transparent, neutral, and credible investigation to uncover the truth.
Tensions are running high between the nuclear-armed neighbors following the attack in Kashmir.
India blamed Pakistan, saying the attack had “cross-border links.” Islamabad denied and instead offered a neutral probe with third-party monitoring.
The two sides took reciprocal measures including further downgrading the diplomatic ties, including canceling visas for each other’s citizens and recalling some diplomatic staff.
India also suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 water use and distribution agreement with Pakistan.
In recent days, many countries, including the US, have contacted leaders of both countries in an attempt to ease tensions.
Sharif said India had “created a media frenzy to divert the world’s attention away from the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remained the root cause of instability in South Asia,” according to state media.
New Delhi was yet to react to the latest statement of Islamabad by the time of publication.
The Iranian foreign minister is on an official trip to Islamabad, he is also expected to travel to New Delhi. — AA
