Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, rejected what he described as “baseless allegations of India and an inflammatory rhetoric” against Pakistan, during a telephone call with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov on Sunday.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DAR also condemned India’s unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), calling it a violation of New Delhi’s international obligations.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs informed Lavrov of the evolution of the regional situation after increased tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. He reiterated that if Pakistan remains attached to regional peace, he “will firmly safeguard his sovereignty and national interests”.
DAR has renewed Pakistan’s appeal to “an international, transparent and independent investigation” in the recent incident of Pahalgam, rejecting any attempted Liaison of Pakistan to the question without proof.
In response, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov, expressed his concern about the situation and underlined the need for diplomacy. “Both parties must exercise and avoid climbing,” he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two leaders also examined the state of Pakistani-Russia relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in trade, energy and defense.
