European states back Pakistan's proposal for Kashmir inquiry following Pahalgam attack
ISLAMABAD: Switzerland and Greece welcomed Pakistan's proposal for an independent investigation into last month's gun attack on a tourist hub in Indian-administered Kashmir, with the Swiss government offering to assist in facilitating a transparent probe, said the foreign office on Saturday.
The April 22 assault in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the disputed Himalayan region, killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, an allegation Islamabad has repeatedly denied. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have surged in the wake of the attack, with India imposing trade and shipping restrictions and suspending its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan has responded by calling for a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident while warning that any military action would trigger a strong response despite Islamabad's desire to avoid escalation.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke over the phone with the foreign minister's of Switzerland and Greece, presenting his country's perspective on the situation.
'FM @ignaziocassis appreciated Pakistan's commitment to peace, and endorsed its proposal for an investigation,' the foreign office said in a social media post, referring to Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, following a call between the two officials. 'He expressed Switzerland's readiness to offer its good offices and explore appropriate mechanisms to facilitate an impartial investigation.'
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis also welcomed Pakistan's proposal for an impartial inquiry and stressed the importance of restraint to prevent escalation and preserve regional stability, according to another post.
A day earlier, Dar spoke with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, who emphasized the need for dialogue between the two South Asian nuclear rivals to maintain regional peace and stability.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister told all three European officials that Islamabad rejects India's allegations and unilateral actions like the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
He described the Indian decision to hold the treaty 'in abeyance' as a violation of international law.
Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars over Kashmir, which both countries claim in full but control in part. The latest diplomatic exchanges come as concerns rise over the potential for further escalation following the Pahalgam attack.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan says ‘actively engaged' with UK to ensure lifting of PIA ban
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has assured Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Islamabad is 'actively engaged' with British authorities to ensure a ban on the national carrier from operating flights to the United Kingdom (UK) is lifted at the earliest, state-run media reported this week. PIA was banned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and United States US authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots' licenses following a PIA plane crash in Karachi, in May 2020, that killed 97 people. PIA resumed flights to Europe in January after EASA lifted its four-year safety ban on the airline. The national carrier has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume its services to the country. Dar, who also serves as Pakistan's foreign minister, met PIA's Chief Executive Officer Amir Hayat on Saturday to discuss matters related to the airline, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 'On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said he and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are actively engaged with the UK authorities to ensure lifting of the ban at the earliest,' Radio Pakistan said. Hayat requested Dar for 'further diplomatic assistance' to ensure the resumption of PIA flights to the UK, the report said. Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA's selling potential, as Islamabad plans on privatizing the loss-making national airline. PIA, once a respected carrier in Asia, has been supported by taxpayers for decades due to political interference, corruption and inefficiencies. Its privatization has also repeatedly collapsed amid union resistance, legal hurdles and low investor appetite. Cash-strapped Pakistan has been attempting to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds as part of its efforts to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year. Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million. Officials say PIA's cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million. Pakistan plans to hold the final bidding to sell the PIA by October and complete its sale by the end of this year, the country's privatization czar told Arab News this week. Last week, five consortiums submitted expressions of interest for a 51–100 percent stake in PIA after the government restructured its balance sheet to make the deal more attractive.
Leaders
a day ago
- Leaders
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Hours after Sealing China Deal
The US President, Donald Trump, announced that he terminated all trade talks with Canada, after Ottawa imposed a digital services tax on American technology firms. Trump's announcement came hours after the US reached a deal with China to speed up rare-earth supplies' flow into the US, reported Reuters. Surprise Announcement On Friday, Trump said that the US had ended its trade negotiations with Canada over what he called a 'blatant attack' on his country, announcing that he would set a new tariff on Canadian goods within the next seven days. 'We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country,' he said. 'They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also,' Trump posed on Truth Social. 'Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period,' Trump said. US-Canada Trade Talks The US and Canada have been negotiating over a trade deal for months. Canada is the US' second largest trade partner after Mexico and the largest buyer of US exports. According to US Census Bureau data, Canada imported $349.4 billion of US goods in 2024 and exported $412.7 billion to the US. In February 2025, Trump imposed tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, over the flow of drugs and undocumented immigrants from those countries to the US, prompting the countries to respond with retaliatory measures. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with Trump at the G7 summit of world leaders in Alberta in mid-June, where both leaders agreed to pursue negotiations to reach a new economic deal within a month period. Canada Response After Trump's surprise announcement, Carney's office said that the government would resume negotiations with the US to resolve the dispute. 'The Canadian government will continue to engage in these complex negotiations with the United States in the best interests of Canadian workers and businesses,' it said. Further US Actions However, the US President told reporters at the White House that Washington would not resume negotiations with Ottawa 'until they straighten out their act,' adding that the US holds 'such power over Canada.' Furthermore, the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, downplayed the trade dispute between the US and Canada, during an interview with CNBC. He suggested that that the US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, would probably pursue a Section 301 probe into Canada's digital tax, which would pave the way for the US to impose retaliatory tariffs amounting to the approximately $2 billion in losses incurred by American companies. US-China Deal On Friday, Bessent announced that Washington and Beijing had reached a trade agreement that would speed up American firms' access to rare earth minerals from China, according to the Associated Press (AP). He said that the agreement would reduce tariffs and ease the flow of rare-earth magnets to US companies. Two weeks ago, Trump said that Washington and Beijing had finalized a deal, which would grant the US access to the rare-earth metals it needs, while the Chinese college students would be able to attend American universities. The agreement followed talks between American and Chinese officials in London and Geneva. The Chinese Commerce Ministry confirmed the deal on Friday. 'China will, in accordance with the law, review and approve eligible export applications for controlled items. In turn, the United States will lift a series of restrictive measures it had imposed on China,' it said. More Deals Coming Trump has set July 9, 2025 as a date for countries to reach trade deals with the US to avoid facing more tariffs. However, the Trump administration has indicated that this deadline is flexible and could be extended. Earlier on Friday, Bessent said that the Trump administration is engaging in trade talks with 18 top trade partners, including the European Union (EU) and India, adding that new deals could be finalized by the Labor Day holiday on September 1. 'We have 18 important trading partners. … If we can ink 10 or 12 of the important 18, there are another important 20 relationships, then I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day,' he told Fox Business Network. Short link : Post Views: 6
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Arbitration court says has jurisdiction in Pakistan's Indus waters case against India
ISLAMABAD: The Permanent Court of Arbitration on Friday ruled that India's decision of holding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance did not deprive the court of its competence to adjudicate Pakistan's complaints against its neighbor. In its supplemental award on the proceedings instituted by Pakistan against India, the court said it had previously found that once a proceeding before a court of arbitration is properly initiated, as in the present case, 'there must be a strong presumption against the incidental loss of jurisdiction over the matters placed before it by subsequent acts, such as the appointment of a neutral expert.' India announced it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, in abeyance a day after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, an allegation Islamabad denies. Pakistan has previously said the treaty has no provision for one side to unilaterally pull back and that any blocking of river water flowing to Pakistan will be considered 'an act of war.' In light of the developments, the PCA issued a procedural order on May 16 and requested the parties to provide written submissions on the effect, if any, of these recent developments before the court. Pakistan filed written submissions and no submissions were filed by India, but the court said it had considered New Delhi's position. 'The current phase of the proceedings before the Court concerns the overall interpretation and application of the Treaty's provisions on hydro-electric project design and operation, as well as the legal effect of past decisions of dispute resolution bodies under the Treaty,' it said. 'Accordingly, the text of the Treaty, read in light of its object and purpose, does not to allow either Party, acting unilaterally, to hold in abeyance or suspend an ongoing dispute settlement process.' The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin's western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes, according to the agreement. On July 6, 2023, the PCA had issued its award on competence after considering India's objections. In a unanimous decision, the court had ruled that it was competent to consider and determine the disputes set forth in Pakistan's request for arbitration in the case. Pakistan had initiated the present arbitral proceedings before the court on August 19, 2016. The South Asian neighbors have been arguing over hydroelectric projects on the shared Indus river and its tributaries for decades, with Pakistan complaining that India's planned hydropower dams will cut flows on the river which feeds 80 percent of its irrigated agriculture. The PCA noted on Friday that the principal issue concerned the implications, if any, that India's decision to hold the treaty in 'abeyance' may have on the competence of the court. 'Paragraph 16 of Annexure G to the Treaty provides that '[s]ubject to the provisions of this Treaty and except as the Parties may otherwise agree, the Court shall decide all questions relating to its competence',' the PCA said. 'Accordingly, the Court found that it was for the Court — and the Court alone — to answer the question before it.' New Delhi's halting of the water agreement was one of a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures taken by both countries in the immediate aftermath of the April 22 attack in Kashmir, which resulted in a four-day military conflict between the neighbors in May. The Pakistani government welcomed the supplemental award by the PCA in the IWT case. 'Pakistan welcomes the Supplemental Award by the Court of Arbitration in the Indus Waters matter that has been handed down today and made public on the website of the Permanent Court of Arbitration,' it said in an X post on Friday. 'Pakistan notes that the Court has affirmed its Competence in the light of recent developments and that unilateral action by India cannot deprive either the Court or the Neutral Expert... of their competence to adjudicate the issues before them.' Islamabad said the priority at this point was for India and Pakistan to find a way back to a meaningful dialogue, including on the application of the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan is 'ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, water, trade and terrorism,' it said, quoting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's comments earlier this week.
