Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke by phone on Saturday, with Shehbaz welcoming Iran’s willingness to help de-escalate rising tensions between Pakistan and India, according to Iranian state media. The April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, has heightened hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with India blaming cross-border elements and Pakistan firmly denying any involvement. In response to the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty while Pakistan threatened to suspend the Simla Agreement and close its airspace.
During the call, Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all forms and is willing to join a transparent investigation. He warned against India’s “weaponisation” of water resources and pledged to defend Pakistan’s rights. The premier also expressed solidarity with Iran over the Shahid Rajaee port explosion and renewed his invitation to President Pezeshkian to visit Islamabad, while accepting an invitation to visit Tehran.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar briefed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, rejecting India’s “baseless propaganda” and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its “iron-clad” friendship with China. Both sides pledged to strengthen cooperation against unilateralism and promote regional stability.
At home, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar voiced farmers’ support for the armed forces, vowing they would defend Pakistan against any Indian aggression. “Every farmer is a soldier,” Khokhar said, warning that if India blocked Pakistan’s water, farmers would “demolish” Indian dams in retaliation.
