Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated that cross-border terrorism remains the central challenge in its ties with Afghanistan, asserting that India is actively ‘patronising terrorism ‘ in Afghan territory.
In a weekly briefing on Friday, he said Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan posing grave threats to regional stability. “Counter‑terrorism remains a sticking point,” he noted, accusing India of “patronising terrorism against Pakistan.”
Khan also condemned the BJP government’s demolition of over 500 shrines in Uttarakhand as evidence of rising Islamophobia. He described the act as “another demonstration of the virulence with which the current dispensation in India is pursuing its anti‑Muslim agenda.”
Responding to Indian aggression in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident, Khan warned against unilateral militaristic aggression. “No state can allow another to violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity at will,” he said, affirming Pakistan’s preparedness to defend its sovereignty “with full vigour.”
Referring to remarks made by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on alleged nuclear blackmail, Khan asserted that such talk exposes India’s insecurity about Pakistan’s defence capability.
He stated that Pakistan’s conventional forces are “adequate to deter India without the self‑imposed nuclear blackmail that New Delhi suffers from.”
On the Indus Waters Treaty, he welcomed an interim ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that rebuked India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty. Describing India’s action as “totally illegal,” he said the award “vindicates Pakistan’s position in a very clear fashion.”
Moreover, Khan confirmed Pakistan and India exchanged prisoner lists on July 1 under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement — Pakistan shared 246 names of Indian or Indian-origin detainees, while India handed over a list of 463 Pakistani prisoners. He urged both nations to ensure the welfare of detainees.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s participation in regional diplomacy, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the delegation at the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, where he held bilateral meetings and advanced Pakistan’s policy agenda. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar also reached out to Turkey’s leadership ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s imminent visit.
Responding to whether Pakistan would seek US mediation in its dialogue with India, the spokesperson said Islamabad prefers diplomacy over conflict. “It is India’s choice whether it treads the path of belligerence or takes steps for dialogue and reconciliation.”
Meanwhile, he firmly reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestine. He called for a sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital, emphasising that any ceasefire in Gaza must end occupation and respect Palestinian rights.
“The road to peace lies not through normalisation under duress, but through justice, freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people,” he added.
