ISLAMABAD, Friday, May 09, 2025 (WNP): Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned India’s repeated violations of its sovereignty, warning that New Delhi’s reckless conduct had dangerously escalated tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbors and posed a serious threat to regional peace and global security.
“India’s actions are a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the basic norms of inter-state relations,” said Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan during his weekly press briefing. “It is most unfortunate that India’s jingoism and war hysteria have brought the region to the brink of a major conflict. This should deeply concern the international community.”
Khan stated that since May 7, India had launched cross-border missile and drone attacks that targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. He stressed that South Asia, home to more than one-fifth of the world’s population, could not afford such reckless provocations.
Refuting Indian claims that Pakistan was behind the recent attack in Pahalgam, Khan said, “India is once again using the pretext of terrorism to propagate a false narrative of victimhood. We categorically reject any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident.”
He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called for an independent and transparent investigation into the Pahalgam attack through neutral international observers. “Instead of agreeing to a fair probe, India chose the path of belligerence,” Khan said.
The spokesperson also accused India of ignoring repeated calls for restraint issued by international bodies including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Responding to remarks made by the Indian Foreign Secretary accusing Pakistan of escalating tensions, Khan said the allegations were “absurd and baseless,” particularly as no credible or verifiable evidence had been presented to implicate Pakistan. “Pakistan did not attack Pahalgam. It is India that has launched attacks inside Pakistan. We reserve the right to take appropriate measures in self-defence,” he emphasized.
Khan criticized India’s track record of cooperation in past terror investigations, including the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot attacks, accusing New Delhi of deliberately obstructing justice by refusing to allow key witnesses to testify in Pakistani courts.
He further condemned India’s role in supporting terrorism in Pakistan, citing the case of Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in Balochistan and convicted for espionage and subversion. He also pointed to the Samjhota Express bombing, where suspects linked to India’s ruling party were acquitted.
The spokesperson rejected India’s claims that its attacks were aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure. “These strikes resulted in the martyrdom of civilians, including women and children, the destruction of mosques, and even damage to the Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project. India must be held accountable for these war crimes,” Khan said.
He also raised alarm over India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it a unilateral and illegal move. “There is no provision in the treaty that allows a party to hold it in abeyance. India’s decision is an attack on the people and economy of Pakistan. It sets a dangerous precedent,” he warned.
On India’s domestic rhetoric, Khan noted that the Indian leadership was trying to rewrite history by making “absurd claims” about Jammu and Kashmir. “Let us remind them — it was India that took the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations. They cannot now renege on their commitments,” he said.
When asked about the conduct of Indian media, Khan labeled it as “highly irresponsible and jingoistic,” saying it was being used to manufacture pretexts for military aggression and sow panic. “This deliberate use of disinformation only worsens an already volatile situation,” he cautioned.
In a separate statement issued late Thursday, Pakistan categorically rejected Indian media reports alleging Pakistani involvement in attacks on Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Srinagar. “These claims are baseless, politically motivated, and part of a reckless propaganda campaign,” the Foreign Office said.
The statement urged the international community to take serious note of India’s aggressive posture and advise New Delhi to act with responsibility. “Pakistan remains vigilant and committed to peace, but any escalation based on false pretenses will be met with full resolve,” it concluded.
