Pakistan rejects Jaishankar remarks, defends Indus Waters Treaty stance

FO accuses India of deflecting blame, reiterates position on Kashmir and water sharing

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday rejected remarks attributed to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and reiterated its position on the Indus Waters Treaty and the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Spokesperson, Tahir Hussain Andrabi said India was “seeking to deflect attention from its own troubling record as a neighbour that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.”

The statement referred to what Pakistan described as documented instances of sabotage through proxies, covert support to militant networks and extraterritorial activities. It cited the case of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav as an example of “organised, state-sponsored terrorism directed against Pakistan.”

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Press Remarks by the Spokesperson https://t.co/Iv3sVuoDk2
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 3, 2026

Jadhav was captured in Balochistan in March 2016 and later confessed to his association with India’s Research and Analysis Wing and his involvement in espionage and terrorism in Pakistan, according to Pakistani authorities. He remains imprisoned in Pakistan.

On Jammu and Kashmir, the Foreign Office said India “continues its illegal and violent military occupation” of the region. It said Pakistan would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their “struggle to realise their right to self-determination,” in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The rebuttal followed public remarks by Jaishankar, in which he said India had the right to defend itself against “bad neighbours” and questioned why a country that, in his words, persists with terrorism should expect the benefits of neighbourly cooperation.

“Many years ago we agreed to a water-sharing arrangement … but if you have decades of terrorism there is no good neighbourliness,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying. “You can’t say … Please share water with me but I will continue terrorism -- that’s not reconcilable.”

The Foreign Office statement also addressed recent discussion around the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it an international agreement “concluded in good faith and at considerable cost.” It warned that any unilateral departure from the treaty framework would “undermine regional stability” and “call into question” the credibility of commitments under international legal obligations.

The ministry said Pakistan would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights under the treaty.

The exchange comes as both sides continue to signal their positions on the Indus Waters Treaty and regional security issues while relying on existing mechanisms for routine exchanges.

The development follows a brief interaction earlier this week when National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Jaishankar shook hands in Dhaka during the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia. It marked the first high-level contact between Pakistani and Indian officials since the military conflict in May 2025.