Tazeen Akhtar
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry held an important press conference at MOFA Islamabad on 30 April 2025. Spokesman Foreign Office Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan was also present at the occasion. They spoke at length about the Indian baseless rhetoric against Pakistan after Pehalgam, exposed the concocted narrative by raising questions that India is not replying neither can reply.
DG ISPR raised important points and exposed the Indian conspiracy :
1-The site of the Pahalgam incident is 230 kilometers away from the LoC. How is it possible that someone could reach it within ten minutes through such a difficult route? The Indian narrative is that this is a terrorist incident. It is being said that Muslims opened fire, it is being said that Hindus were opened fire. Why is this narrative being propagated by India?
2-Our position is clear that terrorists have no religion. He said that the Indian media is saying that Pakistani agencies orchestrated this incident. Indian allegations started coming out just a few minutes after the incident. A false narrative was created based on the video of the zip line operator. The Indian media started making allegations against Pakistan immediately after the incident.
3-The same Indian social media account also made a statement on the Jaffer Express incident. This account first announced that an attack would take place in a few hours, and then announced when and where the attack would take place. Then, when the attack took place, the same Indian account announced the attack. The Indian media then exaggerated the story by using the same account.
4-Hundreds of Pakistanis are illegally imprisoned in Indian jails. India is using these Pakistani prisoners in fake encounters. Muhammad Farooq was martyred in a fake encounter in Uri. The Indian army called him an infiltrator. In fact, he was an innocent civilian.
5-India is killing innocent people on the charge of being infiltrators, India itself is a terrorist state, Pakistani and Kashmiri citizens are being kept in Indian jails, India tortures these prisoners and makes them give statements. The registration and contents of the FIR immediately after the Pahalgam incident raised questions.
6- It takes at least 30 minutes to reach the police station from the crime scene. How is it possible for someone to file an FIR in 10 minutes? Words like handler were used in the FIR filed in 10 minutes. He said that it was alleged that people were identified and killed. How is it possible to identify people in such a short time?
According to other media outlets, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry the Pakistan Army is fully prepared for a befitting response to any misadventure by India.
“Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force are ready to respond to any kind of aggression,” the DG ISPR.
He questioned the credibility of India’s swift reaction to the Pahalgam incident, noting the timeline of events that pointed to a pre-determined agenda. The Pahalgam attack, which took place about 230 kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC), raised questions because Pakistan was quickly blamed, even though it was unlikely that such a fast connection could be made.
The DG ISPR also rejected India’s claim that the attack was religiously motivated, explaining that videos showed there was no targeting based on religion. He referenced the statement of the brother of a Muslim victim, who confirmed that religion was not a factor in the attack.
Further intensifying the allegations against India, Pakistan Army’s spokes person revealed that Indian social media accounts, suspected of being connected to intelligence agencies, had posted messages ahead of the Mianwali terror attack on 4 November, foreshadowing “a big event.”
DPM/ FM Dar said, “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.”
The deputy prime minister said that Pakistan will not initiate any escalation but is ready to give befitting response if provoked.
Ishaq Dar said that politically motivated and highly provocative environment being created by India under the garb of the Pahalgam attack poses a severe danger to peace and security throughout the whole region.
“Targeting innocent civilians is condemnable and deplorable, no matter where it happens. As a victim of terrorism, Pakistan understands the pain of those affected better than most,” Ishaq Dar said over the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack.
He said holding in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty by India was unilateral and illegal as the Treaty contained no such provisions and any amendment or termination required consensus. In case of disagreements or issues, there are forums provided in the treaty which should be invoked,” he added.
“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, a part of dealing with the distribution of water, the rivers could have also been given up.”
The deputy prime minister said the National Security Committee had 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.
