Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking to the Pakistani community in Kuala Lumpur, reaffirmed that a military-level ceasefire with India is being upheld. He criticized India’s political leadership, saying they are unable to accept their defeat, and firmly stated that India cannot block or redirect Pakistan’s share of water under international law.
Dar highlighted the brotherly ties between Pakistan and Malaysia and praised overseas Pakistanis as the country’s ambassadors. He proudly noted Pakistan’s successful completion of an IMF program for the first time in history. “By 2018, we were the world’s 24th largest economy and on our way to joining the G20. Unfortunately, the events that followed reversed that progress,” he said, referencing the country’s fall to 47th in global rankings.
He credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership for preventing default and stressed Pakistan’s commitment to regaining economic strength. “In the last 16 months, interest rates have halved, and inflation has dropped to single digits. Our goal remains clear — to bring Pakistan into the G20.”
Addressing regional security, Dar denounced India’s accusations over the Pahalgam incident as baseless and labeled it a false flag operation. He criticized India’s closure of the Attari border and violations of the Indus Waters Treaty. In response, Pakistan closed the Wagah border, suspended all Indian visas except for Sikh pilgrims, and shut its airspace to Indian flights.
He declared that India’s propaganda failed this time. “Just like Pulwama in 2019, their lies didn’t work. We demanded dialogue and an impartial investigation into Pahalgam.”
Dar warned that attempts to stop or divert water would be treated as acts of war. He also rejected claims of Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation, noting the country’s recent election to the UN Security Council with 177 votes. “It was Nawaz Sharif who led our nuclear tests in 1998. No one can now look at us with hostile eyes.”
He emphasized Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, with over 80,000 martyrs. “Our vision is to eliminate terrorism completely. We will not leave a troubled Pakistan for future generations.”
Dar concluded by revealing that Pakistan’s air force had downed six Indian aircraft, including Rafales, and claimed India’s provocations, like launching missiles into Sikh-majority areas, failed to gain global support. “The war ended only after India requested a halt. Their leadership cannot accept defeat,” he added. “Decisions like opening the border to terrorists and traveling to Kabul for symbolic gestures only harmed us.
