ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations on Friday raised alarm over India’s decision to suspend a decades-old river water sharing mechanism between the two nations after a gun attack killed 26 people in the disputed Kashmir region on April 22.
New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the assault in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in Indian-administered Kashmir, despite Pakistani denial of involvement and calls for an independent investigation. India also expelled Pakistani diplomats, shut a major border crossing and suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the attack.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told a media briefing at the UN his country “categorically rejects any attempt to associate it with the 22 April terrorist incident” and had condemned it alongside other Security Council members.
He described India’s conduct as “incendiary,” saying it disregarded international law and could have “far-reaching consequences for global peace and stability.”
“Of grave and particular concern is India’s irresponsible decision to hold in abeyance the historic Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a landmark, legally binding agreement brokered and guaranteed by the World Bank,” he said.
“Holding of IWT in abeyance is unilateral and illegal,” he continued. “There are no such provisions in the Treaty. India’s unilateral and unlawful actions are bound to undermine regional peace and stability with catastrophic implications.”
The Pakistani envoy warned that the suspension of the IWT posed “an existential threat to the people of Pakistan” and amounted to the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian states.
“If left unchecked by the international community, such actions risk setting a dangerous precedent that could undermine the legal rights for lower riparian states, potentially triggering new global conflicts over shared water resources,” he said.
Ahmad also expressed concern over escalating rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region under New Delhi’s control, since the Pahalgam attack.
He cited reports of arbitrary detentions, home demolitions and “collective punishment” imposed on civilians by the Indian authorities.
He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that the root cause of instability in South Asia was the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and warned of the risk of wider conflict in the nuclear-armed region.
“Escalation in South Asia, home to nearly two billion people, favors none,” Ahmad said. “It is time for sanity to prevail and allow dialogue and diplomacy to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.”
Pakistan’s UN envoy says India’s suspension of water treaty ‘illegal,’ poses ‘existential threat’
https://arab.news/j8674
Pakistan’s UN envoy says India’s suspension of water treaty ‘illegal,’ poses ‘existential threat’
- Ambassador Ahmad warns India’s action could set a dangerous precedent undermining rights of lower riparian states
- He says Pakistan rejects any attempt to associate it to the April 22 attack, which it condemned alongside other nations
Pakistan seeks cooperation with US on regulating digital assets, ambassador says
- Islamabad signals push to align crypto regulation with global frameworks
- Move follows creation of crypto council, regulator, recent private-sector deals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is seeking closer cooperation with the United States on the regulation and governance of digital assets as it builds a formal policy and regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and related technologies, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington said on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
The outreach comes as Pakistan moves to bring digital assets into a regulated space after years of informal use and legal ambiguity. Earlier this year, the government set up a Pakistan Crypto Council to advise on policy, followed by the passage of a Virtual Assets Ordinance and the creation of a dedicated Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority to oversee licensing, compliance and market supervision. Officials have described the steps as part of a broader effort to align with international standards while managing financial and regulatory risks.
The policy push has accelerated in recent weeks, with Pakistan announcing partnerships with global crypto firms, including Binance, and signing agreements with domestic exchange HSX aimed at improving compliance, investor protection and market infrastructure. Authorities say millions of Pakistanis already use digital assets, largely outside the formal financial system, prompting concerns over consumer risk, capital flows and regulatory oversight.
“Sheikh highlighted Pakistan’s massive strides in adoption and regulation of digital assets and cryptocurrencies,” Radio Pakistan reported, referring to comments by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, during a meeting with Patrick Witt, Executive Director at the US President’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.
“He said the establishment of Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), Promulgation of Virtual Assets Ordinance/Act 2025, Creation of Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) and a landmark shift in central Bank’s perspective are reflective of our conscious effort to put in place an institutional framework and comprehensive ecosystem to facilitate millions of our users of digital assets.”
According to Radio Pakistan, Sheikh told his US counterpart that Pakistan viewed cooperation, coordination and collaboration as central to building what he described as a “new economy,” and expressed interest in learning from international regulatory experiences. The broadcaster said the ambassador also welcomed what he described as US leadership in shaping global approaches to digital finance and blockchain regulation.
Pakistan’s move to formalize digital asset regulation comes amid broader economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund program, with authorities under pressure to strengthen financial controls, improve transparency and manage risks linked to emerging technologies. While officials have framed the crypto framework as regulation-first rather than promotion-led, analysts say its implementation, particularly enforcement and coordination with the central bank, will be closely watched by international lenders and investors.
The US meeting did not announce any agreements or joint initiatives, but Pakistani officials have indicated that further engagement with international partners is planned as the country develops detailed rules for licensing, taxation and compliance in the digital assets sector.
