‘Nothing to do with it, period’: FM Dar rejects India’s Pahalgam claims, demands ‘joint probe TORs’
- Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar vows strong retaliation if provoked
- DG ISPR says we possess compelling evidence against India, which forms the basis for our demand for a 'neutral investigation' into Pahalgam attack
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar forcefully rejected India’s accusations of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack during a heated press conference on Wednesday, declaring, “Pakistan has nothing to do with Pahalgam attack, period. I repeat, we have nothing to do with it,” while insisting any probe must adhere to “mutually agreed Terms of Reference (TORs).”
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar began his presser by categorically denying any connection to the militant attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), declaring: “Pakistan has nothing to do with Pahalgam attack, period. I repeat, we have nothing to do with it.”
He insisted that any investigation into the incident must follow “mutually agreed Terms of Reference (TORs),” asserting that Pakistan “has no connection or benefit from this attack.”
Dar questioned the timing of the accusations, asking why “this situation is being created by India amid Pakistan’s economic stability.”
He linked the allegations to broader tensions over water resources, emphasising that “there is no unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty” and accusing New Delhi of violating international law.
“Pakistan is an agrarian economy; millions depend on it. We already gave up three rivers under this treaty,” he said, framing India’s actions as an existential threat to livelihoods.
Dar said that any attempt to alter water flows would be considered “an act of war” while asserting Pakistan’s right to retaliate with full force if provoked, even as he cautioned against nuclear instability in the region.
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The minister accused India of exploiting the incident for political gains. “All such incidents are used for political gains. India, on the other hand, wanted to use it as an excuse to suspend Indus Waters Treaty,” Dar asserted.
He said that Pakistan has made it clear that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water will be considered an act of war.“
“India has been acting highly irresponsibly in the last few days,” Dar said.
The foreign minister framed India’s actions as dangerously destabilising: “Indian propaganda is aimed at a military adventure. India’s action would lead to an unstable and unpredictable regional order,” he said.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz and I were on a foreign visit when we received the information about the attack,” he said adding: “When we returned, we issued the statement of condolences on the attack.”
DG ISPR says India’s claims fabricated narrative
Addressing the presser, DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry debunked India’s claims about the Pahalgam attack, accusing New Delhi of orchestrating a “religion-targeted” false flag operation.
US will call India, Pakistan to avoid escalation
The DG ISPR played social media footage showing indiscriminate firing, contradicting India’s claim that Hindus were selectively targeted.
He said a pro-RAW social media handle blamed Pakistan within 5 minutes of the attack, before any investigation, with Indian media then parroting identical narratives.
The DG ISPR exposed Indian accounts that had hinted at attacks in Pakistan a day before Pahalgam, later celebrating the incident as an “Intel win”—mirroring patterns seen after the Mianwali Airbase strike, Karachi Chinese convoy attack, and Jaffar Express blast.
He also showed clips of Kashmiri villagers blaming India’s “intelligence failure”, with one asking: “Why were security forces absent during the attack?”
The DG ISPR played a clip of a former Indian intelligence officer admitting on camera that the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre—where 35 Sikhs were killed during President Clinton’s India visit—was staged “to blame Pakistan and gain global sympathy.”
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He also presented footage of India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other former Indian officials boasting about destabilisng Balochistan to ‘keep Pakistan bleeding.’
“India has directed all its proxies to carry out attacks across Pakistan,” the DG ISPR stated, revealing that 71 terrorists killed in the last few days were attempting to infiltrate for this purpose.
The DG ISPR stated that since January 2024, Pakistan has suffered 3,700 terrorist attacks, resulting in 1,314 fatalities and over 2,500 injuries.
“Pakistani security forces have conducted 77,816 counterterrorism operations - averaging 192 operations daily - eliminating 1,666 terrorists including 83 high-value targets.”
The presser involving Pakistan’s military and diplomatic leadership comes a day after DG ISPR presented intercepted communications and material evidence, demonstrating the Indian Army’s institutional involvement in orchestrating terrorist activities across Pakistan.
In a related development, Information minister Attaullah Tarar in the wee hours of Wednesday warned of a likely military strike by India on Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours.
Twenty-six people were killed and 17 were injured when gunmen opened fire at tourists in IIOJK, for which India blames Pakistan, while Islamabad denies any involvement.
The attack took place in a meadow in the Pahalgam area, and the dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national.
The incident led to a rise in tensions between Pakistan and India, followed by New Delhi suspending Indus Waters Treaty and Islamabad closing airspace for Indian flights.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan would not initiate hostilities with India, but if provoked, Islamabad would respond with full force.
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