Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has warned that Indian leadership’s recent Hindutva-driven rhetoric and actions that reflect a ‘terrorist thinking’ threaten regional stability.
In a speech with several media in Washington, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh India’s handling of the Indus Waters Treaty showed an ignoring of international law.
“The Treaty contains no provision for unilateral termination or suspension,” said the ambassador. “India’s attempt to use water as a weapon is both illegal and inhumane, and the international community will not support such actions.”
He further criticized the recent Indian leadership’s recent remarks and visual screens, including a map of Akhand Bharat in the Indian parliament, and called it a reflection of “hegemonic mentality and creepy intentions.”
The ambassador claimed that the use of anti-Pakistan rhetoric for the domestic political gain in India was a “dangerous strategy” that risked the inflaming nationalism. “India’s commitment to Balochistan is no longer a secret,” added Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.
Ambassador Sheikh also praised the United States for its role in maintaining the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. He praised former US President Donald Trump for promoting peace in the region and called for continued US commitment to the Kashmir issue.
“We appreciate President Trump’s peace efforts and hope they will continue within the established framework to solve Kashmir -Tvisten.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 under the supervision of the World Bank, controls water sharing between India and Pakistan.
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan will not get water from rivers where India has rights raising the rhetoric in a standoff over water access, triggered by a deadly attack in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Pakistan’s most important legal officer replied in an interview with Reuters that Islamabad remained willing to discuss water sharing between the neighbors, but said that India should stick to a decades old treaty.
“Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for any terrorist attack … Pakistan’s army will pay it. Pakistan’s economy will pay it,” Modi said at a public event in Rajasthan.
India-Pakistan standoff
The latest escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22 when an attack in the IIOJK Resort city of Pahagam killed 26 people. India immediately accused Pakistan of the incident, despite having provided no public proof.
In response, India took on a number of hostile actions the next day of April 23, including the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Water’s Treaty (IWT), who canceled Visa for Pakistani citizens, closes the Wagah Attari border transition, ordered the shutdown of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and reduction of diplomatic staff at each other’s amount.
Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation and did not call it substantiated, but took mutual measures through his National Security Committee (NSC). These included stopping trade in India, ending Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft and other recesses.
Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroy a mosque and kill dozens of civilians, including women, children and the elderly.
In a rapid military reaction, Pakistan’s armed forces shot Indian war plane, including three Rafale jet aircraft, which is largely considered an important asset to the Indian Air Force. Over the following two days, India launched waves of Israeli made drones, which were also neutralized by Pakistan’s military.
The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10 when India targeted several Pakistani Airbases with missile attacks. In contrast, Pakistan Operation launched Bunyanum Marsoos, which damaged Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases and other strategic goals.
On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had reached after an intense diplomatic effort overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian Foreign Secretary.
But despite the military ceasefire, the narrative war has waged.
While Pakistan publicly credited US President Donald Trump – along with China and the Gulf States – to have played an important role in rejecting tension, India’s foreign involvement.
Indian officials have insisted on the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral conversations.
However, Trump has repeated his attitude twice after the initial message.
