India Rejects Pakistan’s Kashmir Remarks
India has rejected remarks by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, describing them as baseless and unwarranted.
India Rejects Pakistan’s Kashmir Remarks
Dar raised the Kashmir issue while addressing the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meeting in Manila. He described the dispute as a major source of regional instability and sought international support for a settlement based on United Nations resolutions.
Responding to the comments, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal accused Pakistan of misusing a multilateral forum to spread disinformation and divert attention from its record of supporting cross-border terrorism.
India reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country. The government said Pakistan had no standing to comment on their status.
Indus Waters Treaty Remains Suspended
Dar also criticised India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, calling for the issue to be addressed through dialogue and international law.
India maintained that its position on the 1960 water-sharing agreement had not changed. The treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and permanently ends its support for cross-border terrorism, the external affairs ministry said.
New Delhi suspended its participation in the agreement after the April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 26 people. India attributed the attack to a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India Accuses Pakistan of Disinformation
The external affairs ministry also objected to Pakistan’s use of terms such as “Fitna al-Hindustan” when referring to militant groups Islamabad alleges are supported by India.
New Delhi described such language as officially sponsored disinformation intended to shift attention from Pakistan’s internal problems and the presence of terrorist networks on its territory.
India urged Pakistan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure instead of raising bilateral disputes at international gatherings. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India at the ASEAN-related meetings in Manila.
