Annual exchange held; Islamabad warns India about Chenab project, backs China against Taiwan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaks at FO’s weekly press briefing on 1 January Photo: X/FO
Pakistan and India on Thursday exchanged updated lists of their nuclear facilities, continuing an annual confidence-building measure under a bilateral agreement signed in 1988, the State Department said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi said the exchange took place in accordance with the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attacks on Nuclear Installations and Facilities signed on December 31, 1988. The agreement entered into force on January 27, 1991, and the two countries have shared such lists on the first day of each year since 1992.
“In continuation of practice, the exchange also took place today,” Andrabi told a weekly news briefing. “A list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to the representative of the Indian High Commission in the Ministry of External Affairs today.”
“I understand that the Indian government is also sharing the list of Indian nuclear facilities with our High Commission in New Delhi today,” he added.
The spokesman said the agreement requires both countries to inform each other annually about their nuclear installations and facilities. He also confirmed that Pakistan and India exchanged lists of prisoners.
“The Indian government also shares the list of Pakistani prisoners in their custody with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi,” Andrabi said.
Under the Consular Access Agreement signed in 2008, both sides are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 each year.
New dams on the Chenab
On India’s latest move on hydropower projects, Andrabi said New Delhi could not abuse its “limited permission” under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to unilaterally construct projects on the western rivers.
He was responding to a question on India’s approval of the 260 megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have seen these media reports about Indian plans to build the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower plant [project] on the Chenab River,” he said. “Clearly, these reports raise serious concerns as no prior information or notification was shared with Pakistan regarding this project.”
Andrabi said sharing such information was mandated by the IWT, a World Bank-brokered water-sharing treaty signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960. The treaty gives India rights over the eastern rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Beas – while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers – with limited power generation to the Indus, Jhelum, including the Indus.
“Such acts of commission and omission once again exemplify a complete disregard for international law and bilateral treaties,” Andrabi said. He added that Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner had sought clarification from his Indian counterpart on the nature, scope and technical details of the reported projects.
“He also wants to establish whether this constitutes a new run-of-the-river project, a modification or additional work on an existing facility,” Andrabi said.
Read: Indian FM meets Pakistan NA speakers on the sidelines of Khaleda Zia funeral
He emphasized that any project on the western rivers was subject to strict design and operational controls as well as information sharing requirements. “In the absence of formal communication from the Indian side, Pakistan is unable to access the project’s compliance with treaty provisions,” he said.
“We therefore call on India to return to treaty compliance as soon as possible and respond to the issues raised by our Indus Water Commissioner in his latest as well as his previous communications,” he added.
Andrabi said Pakistan considered the IWT a binding international agreement and remained committed to peaceful dispute resolution, but would “never compromise our existential water rights”.
China-Taiwan issue
On relations with China, Andrabi said Pakistan had “consistently supported China on all issues concerning its core interests, including Taiwan”. He reiterated that Pakistan adhered to the one-China principle and considered Taiwan an inalienable part of China.
“We will call on all relevant countries to abide by their historical commitments, take steps to promote peace, security and development in Taiwan,” he said, urging them to refrain from actions that could exacerbate tensions or undermine regional stability.
Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan
The spokesman also gave an update on Pakistani nationals stranded in Afghanistan, saying 15 students and another 291 people had returned home safely. “We are in contact with the Afghan authorities,” he said.
He said a total of 1,199 Pakistanis had approached the embassy in Kabul for help, including 549 students and 402 other people, adding that coordination with Taliban authorities was underway to ensure their safety.
Regional issues
On regional issues, Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Yemen’s unity and sovereignty and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supported diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. “We hope that the Yemeni people and the regional powers will work together towards a lasting solution,” he said.
He also rejected Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland and reiterated Pakistan’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty. Andrabi said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with foreign ministers from other countries and representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, had issued a statement condemning Somaliland’s unilateral recognition.
Andrabi said Dar also held telephone conversations with officials in Tabuk, Uzbekistan and Somalia, discussing diplomatic cooperation and upcoming visits, including a planned visit to China for the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue.
The spokesman further confirmed that the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, attended the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and met her family to offer condolences. He said Sadiq also held talks with Bangladesh’s national security adviser.
Reports said Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar briefly met Sadiq in Dhaka on the sidelines of the funeral, marking the first such interaction between senior officials from the two rivals since their military conflict in May. According to officials present, the two exchanged a brief handshake and pleasantries, with no formal talks reported.
