Rattled By India’s Indus Stand: Pakistan PM ‘Discusses’ Water Sharing, Kashmir With Visiting UN Chief Guterres

Pakistan raised the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and Jammu & Kashmir with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with the UN chief during his three-day visit to Islamabad.

Guterres arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for his October 6-8 visit at the invitation of Dar. He was received by Acting Foreign Secretary Nabeel Munir and later met Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dar and Guterres discussed regional and global issues relating to peace and security, including Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and the future of multilateralism, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Office.

The Foreign Office said Dar briefed Guterres on Pakistan’s positions on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, while reaffirming Islamabad’s call for a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation, including its facilitation of the Islamabad talks between the United States and Iran. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as the most effective means of resolving disputes.

Guterres appreciated Pakistan’s longstanding contribution to the United Nations and its diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue, mediation and de-escalation. Later, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he praised Pakistan’s role in helping create conditions for dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

During his visit, Guterres is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. He will also visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

Guterres’ visit is his first to Pakistan since 2022, when he travelled to areas devastated by catastrophic floods. The visit comes as Guterres’ 10-year tenure as UN secretary-general approaches its conclusion on December 31.