Neither country can unilaterally leave Indus Water Treaty: PM

ISLAMABADn —n Primen Ministern Nawazn Sharifn onn Wednesdayn saidn thatn then Indusn Watern Treatyn wasn an mutuallyn agreedn arrangementn betweennIndianandnPakistannbrokeredn bynthenWorldnBankninn1960,nandnnon onen countryn cann unilaterallyn separatenitselfnfromnthentreaty.

Thenprimenministernwasnchairingn an meetingn here,n whichn wasn attendedn byn Ministern forn InteriornChaudhrynNisarnAli,nMinistern forn Financen Ishaqn Dar,n Chiefn ofn then Armyn Staffn Generaln Raheeln Sharif,n Nationaln Securityn Advisern Lt-Gen.n (retd)n Nasirn Janjua,n Foreignn Secretary,n DGn Militaryn Operationsn andn seniorn civiln andn militarynofficials.

Thenmeetingnexpressednitsndeepn concernn overn then increasen inn systematicn humann rightsn violationsn inn Indian-heldn Kashmirn andn condemnednbrutalnusenofnforcenbynIndiannsecuritynforces.

Then primen ministern saidn thatn then worldn wasn witnessn thatn Pakistannhadngivenntremendousnsacrificesnfornglobalnpeace.

Then countryn hadn shownn unequalledn andn unprecedentedn restraintn despiten greatn provocation,n hen added.n Then meetingn agreedn

Violence against Kashmiris, fighting for their right to selfdetermination, promised by UNSC resolutions, would never be tolerated

Nawaz Sharif,

Prime Minister thatn Pakistann wouldn continuen ton striven forn an peacefuln Southn Asian withn an viewn ton enablen itsn peoplen thenprogressnandnprosperitynofnthen 21stncentury.n

Atn then samen time,n then meetingn alsonagreed,nthatnPakistannwasnfullyncapablenofnmeetingnanyninternaln orn externaln securityn threatn withn thencompletenresolvenofnitsnpeoplen andnvaliantnarmednforces.

Then primen ministern reiteratedn thatn violencen againstn Kashmiris,n fightingn forn theirn rightn ton self-determination,n promisedn byn UNSCn resolutions,nwouldnnevernbentoleratednandnthenoppressednKashmirisn deserven notn onlyn Pakistan’sn supportn butn alson then supportn ofn then entirenworld.

HensaidnPakistannwouldncontinuen ton extendn itsn moraln andn diplomaticn supportn ton Kashmirisn untiln thenissuenofnKashmirnwasnresolvedn asn pern aspirationsn ofn Kashmirin people.

Then meetingn reviewedn othern mattersn pertainingn ton nationaln andnregionalnsecurity.nThenparticipantsn expressedn satisfactionn overn then preparednessn ofn then armedn forcesntondefendnthenterritorialnintegritynofnPakistan.

Meanwhile,n Pakistann tookn itsn casen onn then Indusn Watersn Treatyn tonthenWorldnBankninnWashingtonn onn Tuesday,n urgingn itn ton preventn Indian fromn makingn illegaln constructionsn onn then Neelumn andn Chenabn rivers,n embassyn officialsn saidnonnTuesday.

“Inn then meetingn withn then Pakistanin delegation,n then Worldn Bankn committedn itselfn ton timelyn fulfillingnitsnobligationsnundernthentreatyn whilen remainingn neutral,”n saidn an statementn issuedn byn then Pakistann EmbassyninnWashington.

An Pakistanin delegation,n ledn byn Attorneyn Generaln Ashtarn Ausafn Ali,n metn seniorn Worldn Bankn officialsn atn itsn headquartersn inn Washingtonn ton discussn Pakistan’sn recentn requestn forn arbitrationn undernArticlenIXnofnthenIndusnWatersn Treatyn(IWT),n1960.n—nAPP