By Nayyer Khawaja

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan on Thursday rejected India’s objections to the 1963 Pakistan-China Boundary Agreement and the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, reiterated that Afghan students with valid visas can continue their studies, said it was ready to restore trade and transit with Afghanistan if terrorism emanating from Afghan territory is stopped, and reaffirmed its diplomatic efforts to promote peace amid escalating regional tensions.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, speaking at the weekly press briefing, said the 1963 Pakistan-China Boundary Agreement was a valid arrangement and described Indian objections to it as baseless and legally untenable.

He said China was Pakistan’s neighbour and an “all-weather strategic cooperative partner” and stressed that the two countries’ longstanding friendship had withstood the test of time.

On Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson maintained that the territory remains an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final disposition should be determined in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people through a UN-led plebiscite.

He said India should instead review its August 5, 2019 decisions concerning Jammu and Kashmir, which Pakistan considers contrary to UN Security Council resolutions, and called on New Delhi to implement the relevant UN resolutions.

On reports concerning around 90–100 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims who were reportedly unable to travel to India for pilgrimage, the spokesperson rejected what he described as an Indian media campaign and said the issue was not that Pakistan had prevented them from boarding.

He said Pakistan was not aware that the Indian High Commission had issued the pilgrims’ visas and noted that the visas were not covered by the 1974 bilateral protocol governing pilgrim visits between Pakistan and India. According to him, the visas had been issued independently and without coordination.

The spokesperson said India maintains a highly restrictive visa regime for Pakistani nationals and had also closed the Wagah border for entry into India, while Pakistan remained committed to welcoming Sikh pilgrims.

He cited Pakistan’s issuance of more than 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims in November last year, over 2,800 visas for Baisakhi in April this year, more than 700 for Guru Arjan Dev’s Martyrdom Day and 438 for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in June. He said Pakistan was ready to welcome pilgrims for the upcoming Baisakhi festival in November and through the Kartarpur Corridor whenever India allowed them to travel, stressing that the corridor had been closed by India and not Pakistan.

On the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the spokesperson said Pakistan remained committed to implementing the agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as well as its Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia.

He said the Makkah agreement, signed on August 7, was aimed at strengthening regional peace and stability and included defence cooperation, training and capacity-building, exchange of best practices, defence technologies and research, and collective deterrence of actions aimed at destabilising regional security.

The agreement, he stressed, was purely defensive, was not directed against any country and did not constitute a new bloc. Asked when or how it could be operationalised against Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, he said such matters involved operational confidentiality and required discretion.

He said further meetings of the three countries would take place sequentially in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to further develop the mechanisms of the agreement.

Regarding the situation around the Bab al-Mandab and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Pakistan called for peace and stability and said its diplomatic efforts focused on dialogue and diplomacy rather than coercive measures. The spokesperson said the Houthis must also stop their activities and described the situation in Bab al-Mandab as exceptionally serious.

Pakistan also confirmed that India had participated in the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure meeting hosted by Pakistan earlier in the week, with the Indian Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad representing New Delhi. The spokesperson said Pakistan hoped participation would continue because combating terrorism and promoting peace and security were common objectives.

On Afghanistan, the Foreign Office said Pakistan remained willing to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and diplomacy but insisted that terrorism emanating from Afghan territory must stop.

The spokesperson said Türkiye and Qatar had previously played constructive mediation roles, while China had also facilitated a process involving Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi. He said Pakistan had engaged Afghanistan through mediation in Qatar and Istanbul but claimed that Kabul had not provided the assurance Islamabad wanted concerning terrorism.

Pakistan, he said, had clearly communicated its “red line” and expected Afghanistan to prevent terrorists from operating and moving from Afghan territory into Pakistan.

On the prolonged suspension of Afghan trade, transit and visas, the spokesperson recalled Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar’s visit to Afghanistan last year, during which Pakistan offered concessions on transit trade and reduced tariffs.

He said Pakistan had repeatedly sought an end to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and that Islamabad had used direct engagement as well as mediation by Qatar, Türkiye and China.

“If they cooperate on terrorism,” he said, Pakistan was ready to open its borders, conduct trade and use Afghanistan as a regional connectivity hub.

Pakistan’s policy, he added, remained to see a peaceful Afghanistan that was stable internally and maintained peaceful relations with its neighbours. He said China and northern Central Asian countries also had concerns about terrorist activities in Afghanistan.

Regarding Afghan medical and dental students, the spokesperson gave a clear policy statement that those holding valid Pakistani visas and registered in valid courses would be allowed to continue and complete their education.

He said students already registered and those studying on scholarships would continue, while individual cases involving students who had completed their education and were seeking further specialisation without completing registration could be considered separately.

On Iran and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan stressed that it maintains independent relations with both countries and does not view one relationship through the lens of the other.

The spokesperson said Pakistan’s longstanding relations with both countries had enabled it to play a mediatory role and that Islamabad would continue efforts aimed at reducing tensions.

He said Pakistan had previously helped bring the United States and Iran together for direct talks after 47 years, which subsequently led to Islamabad talks, an Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and a signing ceremony in Burgenstock. Pakistan, he said, was closely following implementation of the understandings and remained a strong advocate of dialogue and diplomacy.

Regarding China’s position on the regional crisis, the spokesperson said he was not aware of any recent telephone call between Islamabad and Beijing on the matter. However, he said China and other regional countries had consistently supported peace and that keeping sea lanes open for trade and transit was important for all countries.

On reports concerning U.S. measures against Iranian airline Mahan Air, Pakistan said it had taken note of the measures and was examining the issue with relevant stakeholders. The spokesperson said Mahan Air operates flights to Lahore and other international destinations, adding that Pakistan favours dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the Iran-U.S. dispute.

The Foreign Office also confirmed that 22 Pakistani crew members had been rescued following an attack on a vessel off Oman on September 13, while one Pakistani national who was in the engine room remained missing.

The spokesperson said 23 Pakistanis had been aboard the vessel. The rescued crew members were being repatriated through the UAE, while the status of the missing Pakistani remained unconfirmed. He cautioned that it was too early to establish whether the person had died and said DNA testing or other procedures could be required.

On India’s criticism concerning a bounty announced for Maulana Masood Azhar, the spokesperson said Pakistan remained committed to its obligations under international law and to enforcing domestic and international laws. He said the FIA list reflected Pakistan’s commitment to the rule of law and rejected Indian criticism.

On sports relations, Pakistan criticised the reported refusal of the Indian women’s cricket team to receive the Asian Cricket Championship trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, noting that a similar incident had occurred involving the Indian men’s team the previous year.

The spokesperson said sports should not be weaponised but confirmed that Pakistan would not send its cricket or hockey teams to India under the current circumstances. Pakistan, he said, remained willing to play India in a third country.

On Palestine, Pakistan reiterated its support for a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The spokesperson strongly condemned Israeli military actions against Palestinians and called for an end to aggression, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. He also expressed concern over the impact of the regional conflict on Lebanon and Syria.

The Foreign Office also rejected media reports alleging that an internal inquiry had found Rs12 billion had been illegally collected from citizens in one year through unofficial channels for document attestation.

The spokesperson said the Foreign Office had no information or record of the alleged inquiry and rejected the claims as unverified and baseless, while stressing that the ministry remained committed to transparency, accountability and professional standards.

Addressing complaints over the online attestation and apostille system, he said the Foreign Ministry and its four camp offices process approximately 17,000–18,000 documents every day.

He highlighted QR-code verification, courier services, digital powers of attorney and integration with HEC and IBCC databases as measures introduced to facilitate applicants. The ministry, he said, now operates morning and evening shifts because of the volume of applications.

The spokesperson said the apostille system introduced in 2024 had simplified the process, with documents attested by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry now accepted by 120 countries. He said the system had reduced the need for multiple attestations and lowered the overall financial and logistical burden on Pakistanis, particularly those living abroad.

He said the Foreign Office generated Rs3.4 billion over the past two years from document-attestation services and that payments were processed through official online and point-of-sale systems.

Responding to questions about the Rs3,000 apostille fee, he said the total cost under the previous system could run into hundreds of dollars because documents required multiple attestations in Pakistan and abroad. The new system, he argued, had reduced the overall cost and time despite the prescribed fee.

The spokesperson also said the Foreign Secretary had placed officers with clean records in the Consular Department and acknowledged that improvements were still required because of the exceptionally high volume of applications.

On the appointment of an ECO Secretary General, the Foreign Office said no decision or name could yet be shared. The spokesperson said a competent person would be selected through consultations, regardless of whether the individual came from the military or civilian side.

Asked whether Afghanistan would be invited to the ECO Council of Ministers meeting in Pakistan in November, he said no decision had yet been taken and that the relevant division was examining the matter.

On the Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, the spokesperson confirmed that there had been force deployments but declined to provide further details, describing the matter as operational. He said security cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had existed since the 1970s and had been further formalised through the SMDA.

Finally, addressing speculation about a wider war among Muslim countries, the spokesperson said he did not believe such a regional war currently existed. He said Pakistan’s efforts regarding Yemen remained focused on peace, reconciliation and preventing the crisis from affecting the wider region.

The briefing underscored Pakistan’s stated preference for dialogue, diplomacy and mediation in addressing regional conflicts, while maintaining firm positions on Afghanistan-related terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, Palestine and bilateral relations with India.