The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday ruled out any scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in China.
Addressing the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan and China have reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening their “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” through enhanced bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation.
Khan apprised that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Islamabad on Thursday on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to co-chair the 6th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.
“Both sides comprehensively reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including CPEC Phase-II, trade and economic ties, multilateral cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and important regional and global issues,” he said. He added that the two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination and communication at bilateral and multilateral forums.
During his visit, Yi also called on President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Zardari expressed gratitude for China’s “consistent support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national development,” and appreciated Beijing’s principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, he added.
The FO spokesperson also highlighted the strategic significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
During the Chinese foreign minister's interaction with PM Shehbaz, both leaders reaffirmed mutual support on core national interests. The PM reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to expand cooperation with China in trade, ICT, agriculture, industrialization, mines and minerals, and other sectors under CPEC Phase-II, he added.
Khan highlighted that during the Chinese foreign minister’s meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, discussions focused on regional security, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation. Both sides underscored their resolve to strengthen coordination at regional and international platforms.
The FO spokesperson said the visit was part of regular high-level exchanges aimed at consolidating the Pakistan-China partnership. He also informed that the 6th Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan was held on August 20, 2025, in Kabul.
“The three sides committed to strengthening joint counterterrorism efforts and agreed to enhance collaboration in trade, transit, health, education, culture, combating drug trafficking, and extending CPEC to Afghanistan,” he said.
On the sidelines, DPM Dar held a bilateral meeting with Acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi, noting progress in political and economic areas but raising concerns over insufficient cooperation in counterterrorism. The FO further highlighted that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar paid an official visit to the United Kingdom from August 17-19.
During the visit, he inaugurated digital land record services and a one-window passport system at the Pakistan High Commission in London to facilitate the diaspora. He also addressed the British Pakistani Lawyers Forum, warning against India’s unlawful attempts to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, terming them an “existential threat” to Pakistan.
The spokesperson confirmed that on August 12, Dar met Gregory LoGerfo, Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US State Department, as part of the Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism, including threats posed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and other groups.
Khan welcomed the US decision to designate the BLA and its Majid Brigade faction as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, calling it a recognition of Pakistan’s sacrifices and counterterrorism efforts for global security. Pakistan and China also held the 10th Round of Bilateral Consultations on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament in Beijing on August 18.
Both delegations discussed global and regional security, South Asia’s strategic stability, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology and outer space. The next round will be hosted by Pakistan in 2026.
Khan also welcomed the August 8, 2025 award by the Court of Arbitration on the Indus Waters Treaty, which upheld Pakistan’s interpretation of critical provisions and ruled against India’s attempts to maximize pondage volumes and bypass treaty restrictions. “This ruling reaffirms the final and binding nature of the treaty and exposes India’s unilateral attempts to suspend its obligations,” he said.
The spokesperson strongly condemned Israeli statements about creating a so-called “Greater Israel” and displacing Palestinians from Gaza, calling them “a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions”.
Responding to a question on the recent statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Khan said Pakistan outright rejects the baseless insinuations, terming them yet another example of New Delhi’s “chronic tendency to distort facts and twist statements out of context.”
“The Indian narrative of so-called nuclear blackmail is a self-serving construct, misleading in nature, and aimed at maligning Pakistan,” the spokesperson said. He stressed that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear-weapon state with a robust command-and-control system under full civilian oversight and has “always exercised restraint and discipline on matters of such importance”.
He underscored that Pakistan’s “sustained and credible counterterrorism efforts are internationally recognised,” noting that its security forces have acted as a bulwark against terrorism not just for Pakistan but also for regional stability and global security.
He further criticised India’s “sabre-rattling and war-mongering whenever confronted with inconvenient facts,” adding that unfounded allegations and fabricated narratives “reflect New Delhi’s lack of diplomatic confidence.” He said India’s attempt to involve third countries in its propaganda is a futile effort to exert pressure on Pakistan through distortion of facts.
Contrasting India’s approach with Pakistan’s, the Spokesperson stressed: “Pakistan shall continue to act as a responsible member of the international community. However, any act of Indian aggression or violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with an immediate and matching response. The onus of any escalation will rest squarely with the Indian leadership.”
Khan concluded that instead of “provocative rhetoric,” India should focus on fulfilling its international obligations, particularly on issues of regional peace, counterterrorism and adherence to binding international treaties such as the Indus Waters Treaty.
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