{"id":93488,"date":"2025-04-30T14:53:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/pakistan-wont-initiate-but-will-respond-strongly-to-any-indian-escalation-dar\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T14:53:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:53:41","slug":"pakistan-wont-initiate-but-will-respond-strongly-to-any-indian-escalation-dar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/pakistan-wont-initiate-but-will-respond-strongly-to-any-indian-escalation-dar\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan won\u2019t initiate but will respond strongly to any Indian escalation: Dar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<figure class=\"media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  \">\n<p><div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"\ud83d\udd34 Live: Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Expose India&#039;s Terrorism | Dawn News Live\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PJOsQpuCO9A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Amid rising tensions with India, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan will not initiate any escalation but warned of a strong response if provoked.<\/p>\n<p>His statement came during a joint press conference with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, where they addressed recent border confrontations with India along the Line of Control and accused New Delhi of supporting terrorism inside Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>Relations between Pakistan and India have plummeted to their lowest level in years following the April 22 attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir\u2019s Pahalgam, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1905917\/at-least-24-killed-in-occupied-kashmir-gunmen-attack-on-tourists-police-source\">killed 26 men<\/a>, mostly tourists, and was one of the deadliest armed attacks on civilians in the disputed Himalayan region since 2000. Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, said it \u201cunequivocally\u201d denied involvement in the attack, after an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1906075\/pahalgam-attack-india-suspends-indus-waters-treaty-with-immediate-effect-closes-attari-border-crossing#:~:text=The%20Resistance%20Front%E2%80%99%2C%20is%20said%20to%20have%20claimed%20responsibility%20for%20the%20attack.\">initial message<\/a> that claimed responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Following the incident, New Delhi, without providing any evidence, implied Pakistan backed the attackers \u2014 an allegation that Islamabad has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1906315\">strongly denied<\/a>. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1906694\/pm-shehbaz-says-pakistan-open-to-neutral-transparent-probe-into-pahalgam-attack\">neutral probe<\/a> into the incident.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing the press conference, FM Dar said the entire region was facing a serious threat to peace and stability owing to the \u201cpolitically motivated and highly provocative environment being created by India\u201d in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe world leaders have been requesting the exercise of restraint in recent days. I have made it very clear, on behalf of the government and the nation, that Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move. However, in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He said today\u2019s presser was organised to brief the public on current developments and to share Pakistan\u2019s concerns regarding India\u2019s \u201chighly irresponsible and destabilising\u201d actions and statements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me start by reiterating that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. No cause or objective can justify taking the lives of innocent people. This is the national and Islamic policy: killing of a human being is tantamount to killing entire humanity as per the [Holy] Quran and saving a life is tantamount to saving entire humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The deputy prime minister said the targeting of innocent civilians was sorely condemnable and deplorable, adding that Pakistan had been raising its policy in this regard wherever it was happening in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are concerned over the loss of life during the Pahalgam attack. We also extend our condolences. Being a victim of terrorism itself, no one can feel the pain of those impacted by this scourge like Pakistan,\u201d Dar said.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, he said: \u201cIndia glorifies and even celebrates its assassination campaign and sponsoring of terrorism in Pakistan and other countries. No other country has sacrificed so much or suffered as much as Pakistan due to terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recounting the loss of over 80,000 lives and economic losses of over $150 billion, Dar said that in total, the overall loss incurred by Pakistan amounted to $500bn. He said Pakistan had been working closely with the international community to address the common threat.<\/p>\n<p>He said the sacrifices made by Pakistan\u2019s law enforcement agencies and civilians had helped to address the threat of terrorism and contributed towards regional and international peace and stability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan has been the victim of terrorism that has been planned, orchestrated and sponsored by India,\u201d FM Dar said, adding that in such a backdrop, it was \u201cpreposterous to even suggest any kind of association of Pakistan with this [Pahalgam] incident\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He said the furore and media hype created over \u201ceach and every incident in India seems to be deliberate and choreographed\u201d, adding that it was \u201cunfortunate that India continues to weaponise unsubstantiated accusations and allegations as part of its disinformation strategy for narrow political ends\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Dar alleged it was not the first time that India had resorted to this practice. \u201cThey have done it before and resorted again to the same to what they did in the Pulwama incident,\u201d Dar said, adding that it had become a \u201cvery familiar template aimed at diverting attention from India\u2019s inability to suppress the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, its security failures in [occupied Kashmir] as well as its decades-long state terrorism and oppression\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The foreign minister said India deliberately raised tensions with Pakistan to distract the international community\u2019s attention from the \u201chorrors\u201d of what was happening in occupied India.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA durable solution for India lies in focusing on its internal problems instead of pointing fingers at other countries. India has been deploying allegations of terrorism to achieve its strategic objectives for a long time,\u201d Dar said, adding that India had a history of using the excuse of terrorism to introduce \u201cdraconian laws\u201d to suppress Kashmiris in the occupied territory and to defy UN Security Council resolutions on the issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia needs to explain why such incidents usually coincide with high-profile visits \u2026 The root cause of instability and conflict in South Asia is the unresolved and long-festering Jammu and Kashmir dispute. India\u2019s illegal occupation \u2026 in stark violation of UNSC resolutions and grave violations of human rights, must remain a matter of grave concern for the international community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time, all such incidents are used to whip up domestic political sentiment for narrow political gains. We remain extremely concerned at the very vitriolic, highly inflammatory and blatantly Islamophobic narrative being directed against Kashmiris and Indian Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>He said the Indian media and political leaders were directing a similar discourse against Pakistan, which he criticised as a \u201chighly irresponsible ploy for narrow objective gains\u201d that was pushing the entire region towards \u201cextreme instability\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia made allegations against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack without an iota of evidence and with such dramatic speed. Pakistan has nothing to do with it and we have said so right from the beginning, and I repeat: Pakistan has nothing to do with the Pahalgam incident, period.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe demand an independent and transparent probe by neutral investigators, as announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Any TORs (terms of reference) in this regard should be credible and mutually agreed upon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan has neither any connection \u2026 nor is the potential beneficiary. At a time when the economy is stabilising and we are making significant progress against terrorism, we need to question why this situation is being created by India all of a sudden and what is the motivation behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said the recent actions and announcements by India after a meeting of its cabinet security committee were \u201cillegal and highly irresponsible\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHolding in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty is unilateral and illegal. There are no such provisions in the treaty, it cannot be amended or terminated without consensus and in case of disagreements or issues, there are forums provided in the treaty which should be invoked,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Dar said the above actions showed India\u2019s \u201cblatant disregard\u201d for the sanctity of international treaties and set a dangerous precedent. \u201cIt strikes at a fundamental ill of regional cooperation with profound implications for regional and global stability,\u201d the foreign minister explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan is an agrarian economy, millions of people are dependent on the waters being regulated by this treaty. We gave up three rivers in this treaty and I can hardly find a water distribution treaty in the world whereby, a part of dealing with the distribution of water, the rivers could have also been given up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dar said the National Security Committee had made it \u201cvery clear\u201d that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan, as per the IWT and the usurpation of the rights of the lower riparian, would be considered an \u201cact of war\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is equal to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy. Other diplomatic measures by India are indiscriminate and unnecessary. India\u2019s actions and inflammatory rhetoric over the last few days are highly irresponsible. Being a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan believes in restraint and remains committed to regional peace and stability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, in case of any act of aggression, Pakistan remains determined to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in exercise of its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN charter.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>More to follow<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid rising tensions with India, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan will not initiate any escalation but warned of a strong response if provoked. His statement came during a joint press conference with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Foreign Office Spokesperson [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93489,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2025\/04\/30191552300918c.png?r=191557","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}