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CIVIL, MILITARY LEADERSHIP TO MEET TODAY TO DISCUSS UNILATERAL INDIAN ACTIONS Thursday, 24 April, 2025 | 25 Shawwal, 1446
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Analysts suspect Pahalgam attack may be ‘false flag’ operation by India
ISLAMABAD
staff repoert
AKISTAN’S Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on Thursday to formulate an appropriate response to India’s recent actions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, has led India to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Minister Asif emphasized that Pakistan condemns all acts of terrorism and has no involvement in the Pahalgam incident. He suggested that the attack could be a “false flag operation” orchestrated by India to shift blame. Asif also reminded that Pakistan has previously demonstrated restraint, referencing the return of Indian pilot Abhinandan in 2019. The NSC meeting aims to assess the situation and determine Pakistan’s response to India’s measures, including the suspen-
STAFF REPORT
sion of the Indus Water Treaty and the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches. The committee’s decisions will be crucial in shaping Pakistan’s diplomatic and strategic approach moving forward. INDIA CAN’T SUSPEND WORLD BANK-BROKERED WATER TREATY UNILATERALLY: EX-DIPLOMATS India’s recent diplomatic actions, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty,
India cannot take unilateral decision on Indus Water Treaty: Minister ISLAMABAD
staff report
Federal Minister for Water Resources Mian Moeen Wattoo on Wednesday said India could not take unilateral decision on the Indus Water Treaty, because it has the endorsement of international organizations. Commenting over claims of Indian media about unilateral revocation of
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Indus Water Treaty by India, the minister said the water sharing agreement between the two countries is recognized by the international organizations, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Department. The minister said Pakistan would not succumb to external pressure and any aggression from the Indian side would be responded in a befitting manner.
have sparked concerns about the implications of such a move. However, former diplomats and international law experts have strongly stated that India cannot unilaterally terminate or suspend this agreement, which was brokered by the World Bank in 1960. The treaty governs the sharing of water from the Indus River between India and Pakistan, and its unilateral suspension would not only violate international law but could escalate tensions in the region. Abdul Basit, former high commissioner of Pakistan to India, addressed the issue in a discussion with Geo News, stressing that the treaty is not something India can simply stop. “India cannot immediately stop Pakistan’s water,” Basit remarked, urging caution against panic. He also warned that India might take retaliatory actions, but he reassured that Pakistan is well-prepared for any such developments. Supporting Basit, former PPP senator Sherry Rehman emphasized that treaties of this nature are not subject to unilateral suspension. She also recalled India’s past attempts to falsely blame Pakistan, citing a similar situation in 2000 during President Clinton’s visit when India falsely accused
Defence experts are raising concerns over the deadly attack that took place in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese. Analysts are questioning the circumstances surrounding the attack, suggesting it may be part of a false flag operation orchestrated by India. The attack, which occurred in the Baisaran Valley on April 22, 2025, also injured at least 17 others. Brigadier (retd) Ahmed Saeed Minhas criticized Indian media for hastily blaming Pakistan without providing evidence, pointing out that the attack occurred 400 kilometres inside IIOJK. He referenced India’s response to past incidents, such as Pakistan’s restraint during the 2019 incident involving Indian pilot Abhinandan, as an example of Pakistan’s diplomatic approach. Other analysts, like Brigadier Pakistan of an attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Mushahid Hussain Syed, former senator, and PML-N leader, stated that India was likely using the Pahalgam attack as an excuse to ramp up pressure on Pakistan. He warned that any attempt to cut off water would be a direct violation of international law, with severe consequences. Hussain further suggested that this could be a pretext for war, as such actions would escalate tensions between the two nucleararmed nations. The Indus River, which is crucial to Pakistan’s agriculture, has been a point of contention between the two countries. Since India controls the up-
PTI accuses Punjab govt of betraying farmers, warns against looming food crisis ISLAMABAD
staff report
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has strongly criticized the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for what he described as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the interests of farmers and trigger an agricultural and economic crisis in the province. In a strongly worded statement, Akram accused the provincial government of betraying the farming community by failing to honor its commitment to ensure a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg of wheat. Instead, he said, farmers are being forced to sell their crops at exploitative market rates as low as Rs 1,700–2,100 per 40 kg. “This is not merely policy negligence—it is economic murder,” he said. “Our farmers are already suffering under rising input costs, and now they face complete ruin due to the government’s callous indifference.” Akram alleged that the Punjab gov-
ernment is more focused on optics than actual governance, spending public funds on promotional campaigns and advertisements to falsely claim progress while turning a blind eye to the deepening agricultural crisis. He warned that failing to provide fair compensation to wheat growers could have catastrophic consequences, not only for the rural economy but also for na-
tional food security. “A decline in wheat production may spark a food shortage, push up prices for consumers, and drive already struggling farmers further into poverty,” he cautioned. The PTI leader pledged that the party would vocally oppose all anti-farmer policies and stand firmly with the agricultural community. Turning his attention to the broader
political landscape, Akram lashed out at both the PPP and PMLN, branding them as “family-run corporations” whose only agenda is to capture power and exploit public resources. He dismissed PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s recent outrage over Sindh’s canal water dispute as “scripted theatrics” designed to pressure the federal government for a larger share in power and funding. Akram challenged Bilawal to resign from all government positions if he truly believed in defending Sindh’s rights. “The truth is, Bilawal’s father, Asif Zardari, bartered away Sindh’s water rights for political gains. Now they’re playing the victim card,” he said, predicting that both parties would soon strike a deal over the controversial canal project, as neither has the public mandate to act independently. Akram also criticized the PPP-led Balochistan government for pushing through a contentious mineral bill without proper consultation, claiming it would hand over the province’s mineral wealth to a select few.
(retd) Rashid Wali, raised doubts about India’s immediate attempt to spread antiPakistan propaganda, calling it a baseless accusation. He warned that any further misadventures could embarrass India, referencing the Balakot episode as a potential outcome if such actions continued. Mushahid Hussain Syed, a former senator, condemned the practice of blaming Pakistan without proper investigation, describing it as an “automated response” by India. He noted that incidents like the Pahalgam attack fit a pattern of shifting blame, which undermines international credibility. National security expert Syed Muhammad Ali suggested that the incident could be part of a deliberate false flag operation aimed at defaming Islam, Pakistan, and the Kashmiri people. He also pointed out that India might be using the attack to divert attention from domestic issues, particularly trade pressures from the United States.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 stream waters, Pakistan has long feared that any restriction could devastate its agricultural sector. The 1960 Indus Water Treaty has helped maintain a delicate balance, but with the growing geopolitical tensions, experts worry that India’s actions may put this vital agreement at risk. Pakistan’s government has called for international involvement, urging the UN to address the false allegations levied by India and ensure that the water-sharing arrangement remains intact. As tensions rise, the importance of dialogue and adherence to international agreements becomes more crucial than ever.
PPP walkout heats up Senate session over canal issue ISLAMABAD
staff report
Tensions ran high in the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers from the PPP, alongside opposition parties PTI and JUI-F, staged a protest against the federal government’s controversial canal project. The uproar began when PTI lawmaker Saifullah Abro requested Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani’s permission to speak on the matter of the canal project, citing ongoing protests in Sindh. Abro’s demand was for a discussion on the issue, given that the province had been protesting for days. However, Gillani, a member of the PPP, suggested that the matter be discussed after the question hour. In defiance, Abro sat in protest in front of the speaker’s podium. His action prompted PPP senators to rise from their seats, chanting “theft of water, unacceptable.” As tensions escalated, Senate Chairman Gillani urged opposition leader PTI’s Shibli Faraz to address the issue in consultation with PPP’s parliamentary leader, Sherry Rehman. This proposal was rejected, and the PPP senators staged a walkout in protest.
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