ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Islamabad will prioritize the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the Kashmir dispute and “terrorism” issues in potential talks with India, state-run media reported on Monday, days after armed clashes between the two concluded. 

India and Pakistan exchanged missiles and drone attacks last week, which saw the worst fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades before the two sides declared a ceasefire brokered by the US on Saturday. Tensions escalated after India blamed Pakistan for being involved in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were killed. Islamabad denied involvement.

After the Pahalgam attack on April 22, India suspended the decades-old IWT unilaterally, prompting Pakistan to say that it considered any attempts to stop or redirect the flow of its waters “an act of war.” Another bone of contention between the two countries is the issue of the disputed territory of Kashmir. Both countries claim the Muslim-majority region in full but govern only parts of it. They have fought two out of three wars since 1947 on the disputed territory. 

“When asked about potential talks, he [Asif] emphasized that Pakistan would prioritize three major issues of contention including Indus Waters Treaty, Kashmir and terrorism which need to be resolved to ensure peace in the region,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

Speaking to a private television channel, Asif was quoted by state media as saying that the Pakistani armed forces’ capabilities are “globally recognized and admired.” The minister said Pakistan’s military response has left India disappointed and their “arrogant posture reduced to nothing but dust.”

“Khawaja Asif stated that India’s policymakers have been compelled to reassess their policies in light of Pakistan’s strong response,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Militancy has also been a major issue between the two nuclear-armed nations. India accuses Pakistan of arming and supporting separatist militants in the part of Kashmir that it governs. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it only extends moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir and has always defended their right to self-determination. 

The IWT ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms. India said it held the treaty, which was signed between the two states in 1960 and has been in force since then, in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack. 

The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the 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.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam said any attempt to stop Pakistan’s share of water could lead to dangerous escalation between the two countries. 

“Stopping or reducing our share is absolutely not acceptable and can lead to further and dangerous escalation,” he told Arab News on Sunday. “The revival of the Indus Waters Treaty in its current form remains a top priority on the agenda in any negotiations between the two countries.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani climber Sajid Ali Sadpara has successfully summited the world’s seventh-highest mountain in Nepal, Dhaulagiri, without the use of supplemental oxygen, the mountaineer said recently. 

Sadpara is the son of legendary Pakistani climber, Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who died in his quest to summit K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, in February 2021. Pakistani officials also declared Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr, who were on the quest with Ali Sadpara to summit the mountain, dead. 

Alpine Club of Pakistan’s Secretary Karrar Haidri told the Associated Press of Pakistan that Sadpara was able to achieve the feat with the support of Seven Summit Treks, a commercial adventure operator based in Nepal. 

“Alhamdulilah [praise be to Allah], Dhaulagiri summit without oxygen and unsupported yesterday 10 May with the team of Seven Summit Treks,” Sadpara posted on his Facebook page on Sunday. 

In one of the images he uploaded with the post, Sadpara can be seen holding up the Pakistan flag as he reached the summit. 

Dhaulagiri is located in the Dhaulagiri mountain range of Nepal’s Himalayas. It is also known as the “White Mountain” and is considered very popular among the eight-thousanders for expeditions. It lies northwest of Pokhara, an important tourist center in Nepal. 

Pakistan has produced several professional climbers, both men and women, who have summited some of the world’s tallest peaks. Its Gilgit-Baltistan is a sparsely populated northern region administered by the country as an autonomous territory.

It is home to some of the tallest peaks in the world and a major tourist destination. Thousands of tourists and foreign climbers visit the region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports activities.