Profit PAKISTAN WARNS INDIA AGAINST CROSSING RED LINE ON IWT In partnership with
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 324 I 8 Pages I Karachi Edition
Saturday, 31 May, 2025 I 3 Zilhaj, 1446
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INDIA’S ILLEGAL DECISION TO HOLD IN ABEYANCE IWT IS DEEPLY REGRETTABLE: PM TELLS INT’L GLACIERS CONFERENCE
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SAYS PAKISTAN WON’T ALLOW MILLIONS OF LIVES TO BE HELD HOSTAGE TO NARROW POLITICAL GAINS
MIAN ABRAR
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponization of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. “India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed,” the prime minister said while addressing a three-day high-level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation being held here from May 29-31, 2025. The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general. Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his comprehensive address, touched all the releissues, including glacial vant
preservation, Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponization of water and call to protect nature and humanity’s shared destiny. “The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponization of water,” he told the in-
ternational conference being hosted by Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation. The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025,
and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025. Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus River system – the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy. “The five great rivers that shape our geographical landscape—Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej—all depend on the stability of glacial systems. This makes Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers,” he added. He told the international gathering that Pakistan had faced the peril of glacial melt in the form of devastating floods in 2022 which destroyed millions of acres of standing crops, hundreds of thousands of houses and infrastructure, despite Pakistan’s only less than half a percent contribution of the total world emissions and yet being one of the 10 most vulnerable countries. He prayed that no other country faced such devastation, which necessitated a comprehensive plan and immediate implementation.
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Supreme Court’s Justice Munib Akhtar assumes role of acting chief justice ISLAMABAD
MARIAM ZERMINA
Justice Munib Akhtar, the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) in a ceremony held in Islamabad. The oath was administered by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail in the presence of Supreme Court judges, Attorney General’s Office officials, and members of the legal community. Justice Akhtar will serve as Acting Chief Justice until June 6, 2025. Afterward, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will take over as Acting Chief Justice from June 6 to June 10, 2025. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, currently abroad performing Hajj, is expected to return on June 10 and resume his duties. Earlier, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had served as acting Chief Justice during Chief Justice Afridi’s official visit abroad. The oath-taking ceremony for Justice Shah was held at the Supreme Court, where Justice Munib Akhtar administered the oath. Chief Justice Afridi was attending the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of Supreme Courts of SCO Member States in Hangzhou, China, from April 22 to April 26. During this period, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had assumed the role of acting Chief Justice.
Surge in Chenab river flow after India releases water; authorities on alert for flood risk MULTAN
NEWS DESK
Pakistan, India close to reducing troop build-up along LoC: CJCSC SINGAPORE STAFF REPORT
Afghan foreign minister to visit Pakistan amid warming ties ISLAMABAD
NEWS DESK
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad soon, marking his first trip to Pakistan in two years and underscoring increased high-level exchanges between the neighbours. A diplomatic source confirmed that dates for the threeday visit are being finalised. The trip will cover a broad range of bilateral issues. Last month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul—the first by a top Pakistani diplomat in three years—helping ease tensions. The recent diplomatic warming follows Kabul’s steps against groups threatening Pakistan, including actions against Afghan nationals linked to the banned Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Senior Afghan Taliban commander Saeedullah Saeed recently condemned unauthorized militant operations, stating that jihad can only be declared by the Islamic Emirate’s Amir and forbidding attacks in Pakistan without explicit orders. Pakistan and China have encouraged Kabul to maintain this stance, offering economic and diplomatic support in return. Pakistan has also indicated readiness to upgrade diplomatic ties with Afghanistan by exchanging ambassadors, a significant development for the Afghan Taliban government.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, said Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build-up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nucleararmed neighbours this month, although he warned the crisis has increased the risk of escalation in the future. According to Kashmir Media Service, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, speaking to Reuters, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. “We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation… we are approaching that, or may have already reached it,” said Mirza. He credited Pakistan’s strong and effective response for forcing India to reduce its troop presence along
the border. He said that significant damage had already occurred before the international community became actively involved. He said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during the recent conflict, it was a dangerous situation. “Nothing happened this time,” he said. “But you can’t rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.” He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. “This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers…in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,” Mirza said. “This is a very dangerous trend.”
Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He noted that tensions between the two countries may continue in the future as well. For the first time, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which is a very alarming and irresponsible step. This decision was taken within just 24 hours of the Pahalgam attack without any evidence. He also said that Pakistan is an agricultural country, and the suspension of the treaty poses a threat to its very existence.
The water level at Head Marala Barrage near Sialkot has risen sharply, with the Chenab River inflow reaching 100,000 cusecs, raising concerns about potential flooding in downstream areas. The Irrigation Department reported a 50,000 cusecs increase in river flow over the past 24 hours and is closely monitoring the situation. Officials attribute the surge to water released by India amid recent rains and accelerated glacier melt caused by intense heat. At Head Marala, the inflow stands at 100,000 cusecs, while the outflow is recorded at 77,000 cusecs. However, a spokesperson for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) cited differing figures, stating the inflow at 44,800 cusecs and outflow at 17,100 cusecs. The spokesperson added that the combined usable water storage in Tarbela, Mangla, and Chashma reservoirs totals 4.528 million acre-feet. At major reservoirs, the Indus River is flowing into Tarbela at 177,500 cusecs with an outflow of 152,000 cusecs. The Jhelum River’s inflow at Mangla is 39,600 cusecs, with an outflow of 10,800 cusecs. At Chashma Barrage, the Indus inflow is 228,700 cusecs and outflow 183,000 cusecs. These figures represent 24-hour average flows, the spokesperson clarified. Approximately three weeks ago, India released a significant volume of water into the Chenab from the Salal and Baglihar dams in Jammu and Kashmir, escalating water levels downstream. This followed India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The sudden water release caused the Chenab’s flow at Head Marala to jump from around 3,100 cusecs to 28,000 cusecs, triggering flood warnings in Punjab’s low-lying areas.
President Zardari signs bill to curb child marriages in capital, marks reform milestone ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill into law, aiming to prohibit marriages involving children under 18 years of age. The bill, which passed both houses of parliament and reached the presidency on May 27, seeks to protect children’s rights and eventually eliminate underage marriages in the capital territory.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman shared the signed notification on the social media platform X and described the bill’s approval as a significant milestone in Pakistan’s legislative reforms against child marriages. She noted the legislation was enacted despite opposition from religious groups, including the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which challenged the classification of marriages under 18 as rape on grounds of Islamic law. Rehman called the signing a symbol
of a new era of reform and hailed it as a victory for the rights of women and children. She said the law reflects a commitment to ensuring girls’ access to education, health, and a better life. She thanked party leaders, opposition representatives, and the public for supporting the bill and urged other provinces to adopt similar legislation. The CII, with members from various sects including JUI-F, opposed the bill, arguing it contradicts Islamic teachings and societal traditions. CII member
Maulana Jalaludin described the bill as a western conspiracy against the family system and criticized the parliamentary process for not involving the CII. PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqi, who introduced the bill in the National Assembly, rejected framing the issue in religious terms and stressed it should be viewed as a human rights matter. She highlighted that girls under 18 lack other legal rights such as voting and obtaining identity cards, making early marriage unfair.
Field Marshal warns India against untenable ‘hydro terrorism’ RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Friday said that Pakistan will never be coerced, and all inimical designs to derail the country’s counterterrorism efforts will be comprehensively defeated. He also warned India against its “unlawful and legally untenable hydro terrorism,” calling for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute to ensure strategic stability in South Asia. According to the military’s media wing, the army chief made these remarks during his visit to Command and Staff College Quetta, where he addressed student officers and faculty members, touching upon operational readiness, regional stability, and Pakistan’s national security doctrine. “Pakistan’s enemies will fail in their attempts to distract us from our focus on coun-
terterrorism,” Field Marshal Munir was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), adding that the nation stands united in the defence of its sovereignty. He also underscored the need for a peaceful resolution to the internationally recognised Kashmir dispute. The remarks come amid recent tensions between Pakistan and India following a series of military engagements triggered by the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. India blamed Pakistan without evidence, prompting a chain of events that escalated into full-fledged cross-border hostilities. India’s use of force was met with a calibrated military response under Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, which targeted Indian air assets, ammunition depots, and missile bases along the Line of Control and beyond. The operation formed part of a broader cam-
paign, Marka-e-Haq, which ran from May 7 to May 10. Paying tribute to the martyrs of the operation, the COAS said the people of Pakistan had become a “wall of steel” under national leadership. “Marka-e-Haq is a testimony to our resolve, unity, and complete synergy among all elements of national power,” he said, adding, “Allah’s help comes to those nations that stand for the truth and fight with unity.” Highlighting the changing nature of modern warfare, the COAS said Pakistan’s military remained prepared to respond across the full spectrum of conflict. He particularly criticised India’s growing tendency to resort to unprovoked military aggression, cautioning that strategic stability in South Asia was increasingly fragile and hinged on justice, especially in Kashmir. He also called out India for sponsoring terrorism inside Pakistan and expressed con-
fidence in the ongoing counterterrorism drive. “Our fight against terrorism will continue until its logical conclusion,” he stated. In his address to the student officers, Field Marshal Munir called for visionary and research-driven leadership within the armed forces. “Training must not only reflect present-day realities but also prepare us for future
battlefields that demand agility, innovation, and unwavering resolve,” he said, lauding the Command and Staff College Quetta for grooming future military leaders. Earlier, on his arrival in Quetta, the COAS was received by the Commander Quetta Corps and the Commandant of Command and Staff College.