• Blocking Pakistan’s water would be act of war, says Dar.
• Indus Waters Treaty can’t be amended: deputy prime minister
• FM says ceasefire holds but India’s ‘new normal’ has collapsed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India but not desperate for it, stressing the need for a comprehensive dialogue that includes terrorism and other core issues, such as the Indus Waters Treaty.

Addressing a press briefing in Islamabad on Wednesday, Dar said that any attempt by India to divert or block Pakistan’s water would amount to an act of war. He emphasised that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be suspended or amended under international law.

India had unilaterally announced to suspend the treaty among various measures in response to the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. 

Besides that, it also launched unprovoked missile attacks inside Pakistani territory, claiming that the strikes targeted “terrorist bases”, however, it resulted in several civilian casualties including women and children alongside some Pakistani military personnel. 

In exchange, Pakistan responded with precision attacks on Indian defence infrastructure, that escalated into a brief but deadly conflict between the two nuclear armed countries — the worst in decades. 

The Pakistan Air Force also downed at least six Indian fighter jets during the standoff. 

A United States-brokered ceasefire ended the 87-hours of fighting but the ties between the two neighbouring nations plunged to the lowest level. 

Dar said that the ceasefire between the two countries is currently holding, but criticised Indian political leaders for escalating rhetoric ahead of their general elections. He remarked that India’s so-called “new normal” has collapsed, and the world has witnessed its claims of hegemony shattered during the recent conflict with Pakistan.

Dar revealed that Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets and one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which drew significant global attention. He said Pakistan’s military response was appreciated internationally, but more notably, its diplomatic outreach earned recognition across the world — even drawing criticism from within India itself.

As part of this diplomatic campaign, Dar said a delegation led by Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been sent to the United States, United Kingdom, and the United Nations.

It may be noted that the former foreign minister is leading a nine-member high-level parliamentary delegation across several countries to present to the world Pakistan’s stance on the recent military confrontation with India and to challenge New Delhi’s narrative at the international level.

According to Dar, the delegation reported that Pakistan’s position had been well received at all levels.