Pakistan trying to secure back channel contacts with India
Pak engaged in diplomatic contacts with Iran, Saudi and others: Def Min
Lahore: At a time when Pakistan’s civil and military leadership is emphasising to respond to India amid military conflict, efforts are being made by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to strengthen back channel contacts to defuse tension with New Delhi, a media report said Friday.
Nawaz Sharif, the chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) attended a security huddle at the Prime Minister’s House late Thursday evening and advised his younger brother and incumbent prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to ease tensions with India diplomatically.
Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly following India’s Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that had cross-border linkages. Pakistan subsequently made unsuccessful attempt to attack 15 Indian cities.
“The elder Sharif wants the government to utilise all available diplomatic resources to restore peace between the two nuclear-armed states,” daily newspaper Express Tribune said.
“I am not in favour of taking an aggressive position (against India),” Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying.
“Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan from London to dial down tensions between the two countries. He had been working behind the scenes… but Thursday’s formal entry into the scene amid the current stand-off between the two countries is to strengthen the backdoor contact,” Express Tribune said.
Nawaz Sharif attended the high-level civil-military meeting in the PM House convened to assess the Indo-Pak tensions. Since he holds no government portfolio, he attended the meeting in the capacity of the head of the ruling party government, the newspaper said.
Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister during the 1999 Kargil conflict. Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Friday unanimously backed Pakistan’s military response to India and called it a show of national unity.
“The lawmakers from various political parties rallied behind the armed forces, applauding their steadfast actions to defend the country’s sovereignty,” The News International reported.
Earlier, Pakistan on Friday rejected reports in the Indian media that it had attacked multiple places in India, saying such claims are “entirely unfounded” and part of a “reckless propaganda campaign.”
Pakistan remains vigilant and firmly committed to peace, but it will not be deterred by attempts to provoke, intimidate, or mislead and reserves the right to respond to acts of aggression, a statement from the Foreign Office said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government is engaged in daily diplomatic contacts with countries, including Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, and Qatar, in efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Asif also claimed that the recent drone attacks by India were intended for reconnaissance purposes rather than immediate strikes, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Indian drones were allowed to enter a “safe limit” before intercepting and neutralising them to avoid compromising sensitive locations, he claimed.
Minister for Information Atta Tarar claimed that at least 29 drones were intercepted since Wednesday until Thursday evening, with an additional 48 shot down overnight and into Friday.
India, however, on Friday said that Pakistan sent 300-400 drones in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek last night to target Indian military installations and the drones were shot down by the Indian military.
Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly following India’s Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that had cross-border linkages and Pakistan’s subsequent unsuccessful attempt to attack 15 Indian cities.
Asif said that the government is engaged in daily diplomatic contacts with countries including Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, and Qatar, in efforts to de-escalate the situation.
His comments came as Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir arrived in Islamabad after a visit to New Delhi.
Jubeir later visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar received him, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
The Saudi minister is expected to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief General Asim Munir, Geo News reported.
Al-Jubeir, who travelled to New Delhi a day earlier on an unannounced visit, held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed the situation that has developed since India’s military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir early Wednesday.
The Saudi minister arrived in India hours after Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi flew into New Delhi late Wednesday for a previously scheduled visit to co-chair a meeting of the bilateral joint commission with Jaishankar.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that Pakistan would protect its dignity and sovereignty at all costs.
Addressing the media flanked by the officers of the Air Force and the Navy, Chaudhry alleged that the Indian government blamed Pakistan in connection with the Pahalgam incident to divert attention from internal issues, Geo News reported.
Meanwhile, Health Federal Syed Mustafa Kamal said all health authorities and hospitals are on high alert. “Given the current geopolitical climate, we are proactively implementing comprehensive measures to handle any emergency situations that may arise,” he stated.
Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport resumed flight operations after a brief closure. “Flight operations at other airports in the country are also continuing as usual,” Pakistan Airports Authority spokesperson Saifullah Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan described the Indus Water Treaty as a successful water-sharing arrangement between India and Pakistan, withstanding the test of wars and standoffs, alleging that the Indian dispensation is bent on weaponising water.
“This action shows India’s blatant disregard for international treaties and sets a dangerous precedent,” he said, adding that the Indian decision was an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy.
After the Pahalgam terror attack, India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari and the downgrading of diplomatic ties following the terror attack.
