- Pakistan's Ishaq Dar claimed the Kashmir issue is at the heart of regional instability and sought a peaceful settlement per UN Charter and Security Council resolutions, while criticising India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
- India categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments by Pakistani minister Ishaq Dar, accusing Pakistan of exploiting a multilateral forum to spread falsehoods and divert attention from its record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
- External affairs minister S Jaishankar emphasised a zero tolerance approach towards terrorism at the ARF meeting, stating that acts of terrorism will have consequences.
- Dar expressed deep concern over India's illegal unilateral decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, accusing India of seeking to weaponise water resources in violation of international obligations.
- India condemns Pakistan's officially sponsored disinformation and the use of religious terminology such as 'Fitna al-Hindustan' to deflect from its internal crises and role as a safe haven for global terrorist networks.
India has firmly rejected remarks made by Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at the ASEAN Regional Forum, where he described the Kashmir issue as central to regional instability.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India 'categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments' by Dar.34
Jaiswal emphasized that Pakistan's comments are an attempt to distract from its own record of 'sponsoring cross-border terrorism.' He reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 'have been, are and will always' be integral parts of India, asserting that Pakistan has no right to comment on these matters.
Dar's speech also criticized India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of cross-border rivers. He expressed concern over India's decision to place the treaty in abeyance, claiming it seeks to 'weaponise water resources in violation of its international obligations.'126
In response, Jaiswal stated that India's position on the treaty remains consistent and will be upheld until Pakistan 'credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.'
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during the same meeting, emphasized a 'zero tolerance' approach towards terrorism, asserting that 'acts of terrorism will have consequences.'5
Jaiswal condemned Pakistan's practice of disseminating 'officially sponsored disinformation,' often using religious terminology, and reiterated India's commitment to addressing these issues on international platforms.7
“India accused Pakistan of cynically exploiting the ASEAN forum to spread state-sponsored disinformation and divert attention from its well-documented record of cross-border terrorism. Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the same meet stressed a 'zero tolerance' approach to terrorism, warning that acts of terrorism will have consequences.”
