Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday called for a “composite dialogue” with India to address all “contentious issues” between the two countries but issued a warning of sorts over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which India put in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which terrorists, found to have links with Pakistan, killed 26 civilians.
In his address to the Pakistan Senate, Ishaq Dar said that ceasefire with India has been extended will May 18, but a political process will have to take place ultimately to resolve all problems.
New Delhi has not commented on a specific date for the ceasefire agreement and the Indian Army on Thursday said that the two countries have decided to continue implement confidence building measures to reduce tensions.
With reference to the ‘Indus Waters Treaty’ that India has kept in abeyance, Ishaq Dar, who is also the deputy prime minister, said, “We have told the world that we will hold a composite dialogue,” while reiterating that any attempt to block Pakistan’s water would be treated as “an act of war.”
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Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed readiness for peace talks with India after the two countries militarily clashed for four days over the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s “Operation Sindoor.”
India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that any talks with Pakistan will be only on its support to cross-border terrorism and expressed readiness to engage in dialogue over the issue.
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“Pakistan has a list of terrorists, who need to be handed over. They have to shut down terrorist infrastructure, they know what to do,” Jaishankar said, while ruling out any scope for a third-party mediation.
“That is a national consensus for many years, and there is absolutely no change in that consensus that dealings with Pakistan will be bilateral,” Jaishankar added.
The ceasefire understanding between the two countries has largely held up despite brief drone sightings across several border areas. New Delhi has made it clear that talks with Pakistan will be held only at the level of DGMOs and the discussions will not cover contentious issues like Kashmir or the now-suspended Indus Waters Treaty.
(With PTI inputs)