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Pakistan won't start war, but will strike back hard if provoked: Dar warns India
Earlier, Tarar warned that Pakistan has credible intelligence of potential Indian military action within 24-36 hours.
News Desk
April 30, 2025
A combined photo of DPM and FM Ishaq Dar and DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry are addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which left at least 26 dead.
Dar said that while “world leaders have been requesting the exercise of restraint in recent days,” Pakistan would not be the first to take an escalatory step. “I have made it very clear, on behalf of the government and the nation, that Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move. However, in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly,” he added.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance on terrorism, he stated: “Let me start by reiterating that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. No cause or objective can justify taking the lives of innocent people. This is the national and Islamic policy: killing of a human being is tantamount to killing entire humanity as per the [Holy] Quran and saving a life is tantamount to saving entire humanity.”
He expressed sorrow over the attack, saying: “We are concerned over the loss of life during the Pahalgam attack. We also extend our condolences. Being a victim of terrorism itself, no one can feel the pain of those impacted by this scourge like Pakistan.”
The FM went on to condemn India's alleged role in cross-border terrorism, remarking that “India glorifies and even celebrates its assassination campaign and sponsoring of terrorism in Pakistan and other countries. No other country has sacrificed so much or suffered as much as Pakistan due to terrorism.”
He noted that Pakistan had lost over 80,000 lives and suffered over $150 billion in direct economic losses, with the total national cost amounting to $500 billion. These sacrifices, he said, have helped stabilise the region and contribute to global counterterrorism efforts.
Rejecting India's accusations over the Pahalgam attack, Dar stated: “Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism that has been planned, orchestrated and sponsored by India. It is preposterous to even suggest any kind of association of Pakistan with this [Pahalgam] incident.”
He criticised the media and political hype in India, calling it “deliberate and choreographed.” According to him, “the furore and media hype created over each and every incident in India seems to be deliberate and choreographed. It is unfortunate that India continues to weaponise unsubstantiated accusations and allegations as part of its disinformation strategy for narrow political ends.”
He further remarked, “They have done it before and resorted again to the same to what they did in the Pulwama incident,” referring to India's past accusations following attacks in Kashmir.
“It has become a very familiar template aimed at diverting attention from India’s inability to suppress the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, its security failures in [IIOJK] as well as its decades-long state terrorism and oppression,” he maintained.
Dar added that “a durable solution for India lies in focusing on its internal problems instead of pointing fingers at other countries. India has been deploying allegations of terrorism to achieve its strategic objectives for a long time,” and accused it of using terrorism claims as justification to impose “draconian laws” in IIOJK. He said this was being done in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Highlighting the recent diplomatic and media rhetoric from India, the DPM warned: “We remain extremely concerned at the very vitriolic, highly inflammatory and blatantly Islamophobic narrative being directed against Kashmiris and Indian Muslims,” and noted that this narrative was also being directed toward Pakistan in what he called “a highly irresponsible ploy for narrow objective gains” that was pushing the entire region toward “extreme instability.”
Responding directly to India’s accusations, he said: “India made allegations against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack without an iota of evidence and with such dramatic speed. Pakistan has nothing to do with it and we have said so right from the beginning, and I repeat: Pakistan has nothing to do with the Pahalgam incident, period.”
He reiterated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal for an impartial probe, saying: “We demand an independent and transparent probe by neutral investigators, as announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Any TORs [terms of reference] in this regard should be credible and mutually agreed upon.”
He added, “Pakistan has neither any connection … nor is the potential beneficiary. At a time when the economy is stabilising and we are making significant progress against terrorism, we need to question why this situation is being created by India all of a sudden and what is the motivation behind it.”
Turning to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Dar said, “Holding in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty is unilateral and illegal. There are no such provisions in the treaty, it cannot be amended or terminated without consensus and in case of disagreements or issues, there are forums provided in the treaty which should be invoked.”
He warned that the move shows India’s “blatant disregard” for international obligations and could “strike at a fundamental ill of regional cooperation with profound implications for regional and global stability.”
The FM reminded that “Pakistan is an agrarian economy, millions of people are dependent on the waters being regulated by this treaty. We gave up three rivers in this treaty and I can hardly find a water distribution treaty in the world whereby… the rivers could have also been given up.”
He warned, “The National Security Committee has made it very clear that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan, as per the IWT and the usurpation of the rights of the lower riparian, would be considered an act of war. It is equal to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy.”
On India’s recent diplomatic actions, the DPM said they were “indiscriminate and unnecessary” and described India’s rhetoric as “highly irresponsible.”
He asserted, “Being a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan believes in restraint and remains committed to regional peace and stability. However, in case of any act of aggression, Pakistan remains determined to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in exercise of its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN charter.”
Dar also raised six questions for the international community:
“One, is it not time for the international community to hold India accountable for its transnational assassinations in different countries, including Pakistan?
Two, is it not important to distinguish between the international community’s sympathies with the victims of the incident and the unwitting endorsement of Indian belligerence?
Three, is it not that Indian propaganda is aimed at fabricating a case for military adventure?
Four, don’t you think that India’s blatant disregard for international law and whimsical approach towards its obligations would lead to a highly unstable and unpredictable regional order?
Five, isn’t it high time for the international community to step in and condemn India and prevent it from targeting people on the basis of Islamophobia and religious hatred?
Six, can we deny that the dangerous Indian brinkmanship and efforts aimed at escalation can potentially lead to disastrous consequences in a nuclearised region and beyond?”
On the state of national readiness, he said, “We are very alert, the armed forces are alert, and the NSC resolve is very much there. We are vigilant, our armed forces are vigilant and the nation will thwart any misadventure, responding in a befitting and decisive manner at the time and place of our choosing.”
He also responded to criticism that Pakistan had not condemned the Pahalgam attack quickly: “It took no time for Pakistan to issue the statement expressing its condolences. I was with the prime minister in Ankara on an official 36-hour visit. After we landed, the news came, and the moment the meetings ended in the evening… I was in touch with the FO and the foreign secretary, and the team and I finalised in consultation with the stakeholders, Pakistan’s statement on this incident.”
