President Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that Pakistan would safeguard its water interests at all costs, adding that water was the lifeline of the country’s 250 million people.
Addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad on the completion of one year of Marka-e-Haq, the president said India had carried out unprovoked aggression under the pretext of the Pahalgam false flag incident, adding that Pakistan’s armed forces had raised the nation’s pride.
Zardari said Pakistan’s response to the aggression would be written in golden words, adding that the armed forces had delivered a remarkable reply to Indian aggression. He said the Pakistan Air Force had shot down eight enemy aircraft.
Earlier, the president issued a message on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, paying tribute to the nation and the armed forces.
He said Pakistan was a responsible and peace-loving state and had conveyed its defensive capability to the world through a firm yet balanced response to enemy aggression. He said the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions and reaffirmed Pakistan’s moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people.
The president said India’s attempt to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty amounted to water terrorism, adding that water was a matter of life for millions of Pakistanis.
He also said Afghanistan must not allow its soil to be used for terrorism against Pakistan and other countries of the region, adding that the complete elimination of terrorism operating with foreign backing was essential for regional peace.
Zardari said the efforts of Shehbaz Sharif and Syed Asim Munir had helped Pakistan emerge as a symbol of balance and stability in the region. He added that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Iran-US dispute had received international recognition.
He said the Pakistani nation and the armed forces were fully prepared to confront every challenge and defend the country.
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