Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said India was preparing for what he called the next war. However, Zardari urged New Delhi to back down and return to negotiations.
“Indian leaders are saying they are preparing for another war. As a lifelong supporter of regional peace, I would not recommend that,” Zardari said, addressing a joint session of parliament on Monday amid opposition protests.
“My message to them (India) is to move from theaters of war to meaningful negotiation tables because that is the only way to regional security,” Zardari added.
India and Pakistan were engaged in a cross-border military conflict for four days last year after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
On 7 May 2025, India launched a series of precision strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in a military operation codenamed Operation Sindoor. These strikes reportedly hit multiple locations, including militant infrastructure and air defense sites.
Zardari also criticized India’s decision to shelve the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it plain hydroterrorism and accusing New Delhi of weaponizing the waterways for political influence.
This was Zardari’s 9th address to a joint session of Parliament in his tenure as President. His speech was marred by protests and sloganeering by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, who chanted: “Go Zardari, go” and “Khan ko reha karo (Free Imran Khan)”. But undeterred, Zardari finished his address.
Zardari prevents Pak attacks on Afghanistan
Defending his country’s ongoing military offensive in neighboring Afghanistan, Zardari said Islamabad had tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory, and called on the Taliban government in Kabul to disarm the groups responsible for the attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan had earlier said it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan, alarming the international community. The border region remains a stronghold for militant organizations, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
“(The Afghan Taliban) must decide to break the terrorist groups that survive on the conflict and its war economy,” Asif Ali Zardari said during a speech to lawmakers, adding that “no country accepts serial attacks on its territory.”
Afghanistan launched attacks on Thursday in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday. Since then, Pakistan has been conducting operations along the border, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claiming to have killed 435 Afghan forces and captured 31 Afghan positions.
Kabul has denied such claims.
In Afghanistan, Deputy Prime Minister Hamdullah Fitrat said the Pakistani military fired mortar shells at a refugee camp in eastern Kunar province, killing three children and wounding three others.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense said Afghan forces had carried out airstrikes on Pakistani military installations near Paktia province, causing “significant casualties and heavy casualties”.
The Pakistan Army did not respond to questions. It has been said that Pakistan is only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties.
Pakistan has seen an increase in violence in recent months and blames it on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. It operates both inside Pakistan and from Afghan territory.
(With AP and other agency inputs)
