The Senate on Friday unanimously passed a resolution condemning India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning Pakistan is fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Additionally the resolution rejected India’s linking of Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, labelling them as baseless and politically motivated. Strongly condemning all forms of terrorism, it emphasized that targeting innocent civilians goes against Pakistan’s core values.
It also condemned India’s efforts to malign Pakistan and emphasized that the people of Pakistan are committed to peace but will never allow anyone to transgress the country’s sovereignty, security and interests. It demanded that India be held accountable for its involvement in different acts of terrorism on the soil of other countries and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for self-determination.
The resolution followed the National Security Committee’s adoption of retaliatory measures to India’s severing of diplomatic ties with Pakistan and unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Amidst rising tensions, the United Nations has urged both countries to show “maximum restraint” and resolve all issues peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement.
United Front
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar told the House that while India had avoided naming Pakistan directly, it had hinted at its involvement without any evidence. Alleging the baseless accusation was linked to India’s domestic politics, he reiterated the NSC’s decisions, adding the foreign ministry had briefed 26 countries already and would brief more today. He said Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister had requested a conversation on the matter at 7 p.m. today (Friday).
Emphasizing that the Pakistan armed forces were “fully prepared” for any eventuality, he warned that any hostile act would trigger a decisive response. He stressed that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be unilaterally suspended, as the agreement calls for mutual consensus of both parties for any alterations.
Describing water as a lifeline for 240 million Pakistanis, he noted the NSC had already declared any attempt to divert waters allocated for Pakistan a declaration of war.
In his address, Leader of the Opposition Shibli Faraz said the resolution sent a unified message to adversaries. Criticizing India’s efforts to discredit Pakistan, he said such attempts had failed in the past and would fail in future. He called for the international community to hold India accountable for promoting terrorism, including within Pakistan.
Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman recalled that Indian P.M. Narendra Modi had long desired to use water as a means of terrorism. She said India had already rendered the Indus Waters Treaty ineffective by refusing to attend annual meetings and warned that if Delhi continued down this path, it could face similar action from countries from which its rivers originated.
She said Pakistan had tried to engage India in talks on countering terrorism, but it had refused to respond. “We did not militarize this region, you did,” she said, adding that while India was “obsessed” with Pakistan, the latter did not feel the same way.
Awami National Party President Aimal Wali said no one benefits from war, warning both countries have the powers to destroy one another. He urged Indians who desire peace to raise their voices against war, and offered his services for any dialogue process.
He said Pakistan desired friendly relations with all its neighbors, including India, and urged Islamabad to avoid any destabilizing actions even if others did not refrain. He also questioned the closure of the Wagah Border while the Kartarpur Corridor remains open.