India rejects third-party mediation on bilateral issues: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Dar

Islamabad, Sep 16 (PTI) Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that India has rejected third-party mediation on bilateral issues, as he emphasised that Islamabad seeks friendly relations with all neighbours, including Delhi.

Dar, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera in Doha on the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic emergency summit, where he also talked about the Israeli aggression against Qatar.

When asked about negotiations with India or Pakistan's openness to third-party involvement, Dar replied, "We don't mind, but India has categorically been stating it's a bilateral matter..." Dar recalled that when he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in July and asked about dialogue with India, the top US diplomat clarified that India has maintained it is a “bilateral issue.” "When I met Rubio on July 25 in Washington, I asked him what happened to the dialogue? He (Rubio) said that India says it is a bilateral issue," Dar recalled.

According to Geo News TV, Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan seeks friendly ties with all its neighbours, including India, but warned that sovereignty would never be compromised.

Dar reiterated that Pakistan had always supported peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and believed that negotiations were the best way forward - provided there was sincerity and seriousness from all sides.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly civilians, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he brokered a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

India maintains that it does not want any third-party involvement in its discussions with Pakistan on issues such as terrorism, as New Delhi believes they must remain bilateral.

In his interview, Dar stressed that Pakistan remained committed to eliminating terrorism from its soil and had made the highest sacrifices in this fight. "It is surprising that the country most affected by terrorism is still blamed by India," he said.

On water issues, Dar cautioned that future wars would be fought over water and reminded that under the Indus Waters Treaty, India could not unilaterally suspend or revoke water distribution.

"Pakistan has made it clear that any attempt to stop water will be considered a declaration of war," he warned.

A day after the Pahalgam terror attack, India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan that included putting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in "abeyance".

When asked about Pakistan's nuclear capability, Dar said the country's nuclear force is purely defensive, has never been used, and there is no intent to use it; but if Pakistan's sovereignty is attacked, it will defend itself at all costs, regardless of which country is involved.

Dar also said that Kashmir is an internationally acknowledged dispute with UN resolutions.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported that Dar also described the recent Israeli strike on Qatar as a grave action against international law, the UN Charter, and the sovereignty of Muslim countries.

"You have seen Lebanon, Syria, Iran and now Qatar attacked. This approach is unacceptable," he said, adding that Qatar was engaged in US and Egyptian-mediated peace talks at the time of the strike and that the attack was intended to sabotage that process.

Referring to a meeting of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, he said this is not the time for resolutions and statements only; a clear action plan is needed outlining what measures will be taken if Israel does not stop its aggression.

Dar said Pakistan's priority has always been peace, dialogue and diplomacy. However, if dialogue fails and the aggression does not stop, effective practical measures will be necessary, "which could include economic sanctions, legal action, or formation of a regional security force." PTI SH ZH ZH