The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected media reports claiming that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had shared information regarding Iran’s nuclear programme during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing the allegations as “entirely baseless and speculative”.
Dar met Rubio on May 29 during a brief visit to Washington, where the two sides discussed bilateral relations, regional developments and security issues. The US secretary of state lauded Pakistan’s role in “advancing peace in the Middle East” after the meeting.
“We categorically and unequivocally reject claims in certain media reports that the deputy prime minister and foreign minister shared any intelligence regarding Iran with the US secretary of state,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said during a weekly press briefing.
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“Such claims are entirely baseless, speculative, and appear to be aimed at undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts and the broader process of dialogue and engagement,” he added.
The spokesperson said a comprehensive exchange of views had taken place during the meeting between Dar and Rubio on May 29, covering various aspects of the situation in the Middle East and developments in the Gulf region.
Andrabi said the discussions focused on regional peace, stability and the importance of pursuing diplomatic solutions to ongoing challenges.
“No intelligence was shared during the course of this dialogue,” he added.
The spokesperson’s remarks came after former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst Larry Johnson, citing an unnamed source, claimed that Dar had conveyed a message to Rubio that “revealed what Iran is prepared to do to preserve its independence”, which allegedly “alarmed” the US secretary of state.
The matter was also raised during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, when Congressman Scott Perry asked Rubio whether Dar had delivered a message indicating that Iran was “prepared to demonstrate a nuclear weapon should the current escalation continue”.
Responding to the question, Rubio said he had neither seen the reported claims nor was aware of any such message.
When Perry again referred to the reports, Rubio reiterated that no such message had been conveyed.
“I would be surprised if that message had been relayed. I would be aware of it if it was,” he said.
Andrabi also welcomed the United States’ role in facilitating a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.
“Pakistan appreciates the continued engagement of the United States in this regard. We remain firmly committed to dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful engagement as the most effective means of addressing complex regional challenges and resolving contentious issues,” the spokesperson said.
FO warns India against ‘weaponising’ water
The spokesperson denounced India’s reported plans to invite bids for the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project, aimed at transferring 1.9 million acre-feet of water annually from the Chenab River into the Beas system, calling it a grave violation not only of the Indus Waters Treaty but also of the law of treaties.
He also referred to India’s proposed plan for silt flushing at the Salal Dam reservoir in Reasi district of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as a deeply concerning development.
“It will provide water-control capability that is not permissible either under the Indus Waters Treaty or the 1978 Salal Agreement,” he added.
The spokesperson said India had neither officially communicated nor issued any notice regarding these projects, nor had it sought consultations with Pakistan on the matter.
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“These projects confirm that India seeks to weaponize water,” he said, warning that such actions carried dangerous implications not only for Pakistan’s economy but also for regional stability and international peace and security.
He said Pakistan had exercised restraint and responsibility and remained committed to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of disputes, but warned that any unlawful measures affecting the country’s water rights would be unacceptable.
“However, any illegal action, any illegal measure to endanger Pakistan’s water, food, and economic security, as well as the survival and well-being of its 250 million people, is unacceptable,” he said, adding that such actions amounted to further destabilisation of South Asia, with potentially grave consequences for the people of the entire region.
Referring to Pakistan’s rights under the Indus Waters Treaty, the spokesperson said the country was entitled to receive, for unrestricted use, the waters of the western rivers, while the rights to the eastern rivers had been allocated to India.
“Pakistan retains all options necessary to safeguard its rights and entitlements under the Treaty, and to protect its vital national interests.”
He urged the international community to call upon India to refrain from any form of water coercion, abandon projects aimed at stopping, reducing or diverting water flows legally belonging to Pakistan, and restore the full and faithful implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
No change in Abraham Accords policy, says FO
The spokesperson also reiterated that Pakistan’s position on the Abraham Accords remains unchanged, stressing that the country continues to support a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, he said there was “no change in policy,” and that Pakistan continues to support the establishment of a “sovereign and independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
He said the period included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China; the visits of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, to China, New York, and Washington; and the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kalla Kaja, to Pakistan.
Giving details of the prime minister’s visit to China, the spokesperson said it was undertaken at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China from May 23 to 26. During the visit, Shehbaz held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
He added that the prime minister also chaired a Pakistan-China B2B investment conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, focusing on IT and telecom, battery energy storage, and agriculture. A detailed joint statement was issued after the visit. DPM/FM Dar accompanied the Prime Minister to China, before travelling directly from Beijing to New York for his engagements between May 26 and 28.
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Andrabi said Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach also continued on regional stability, including contacts with Egypt, Iran and Kuwait on evolving Middle East and Gulf developments.
He noted that on return to Islamabad, Dar held calls with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Iran’s Foreign Minister and Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, discussing “evolving regional and national developments.”
He also said the prime minister held multiple telephone conversations, including a call with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on June 4, and earlier calls with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
“These were part of our efforts for regional peace, security and overall regional development,” the spokesperson said.
Another key development was the visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to Pakistan on June 1, he said. During the visit, the two sides “co-chaired the 8th session of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, the highest-level platform for structured discussions between the two sides.”
He added that she also called on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and that the visit “underscored sustained momentum of high-level political engagement.”
A Pakistan-EU joint statement was also issued, he noted.
During question hour, Andrabi said that 10 Pakistanis are still in the custody of Somali pirates and that contact had been established with the Somali government and efforts are underway to ensure their safe return.
Towards the end of the briefing, the spokesperson referred to a joint statement by foreign ministers of eight countries — Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan — strongly condemning Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque and reaffirming support for a two-state solution.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneWeb DeskRead More
