Pakistan sees tax-to-GDP ratio hitting 10.6% by June as reform efforts continue

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top generals on Friday blamed last month’s tourist shootings in Indian-administered Kashmir on New Delhi’s “governance failures” and its strategy of using such incidents for political gain, while warning Pakistani security forces were ready to respond to any attack on the country’s sovereignty, according to an official statement.
India blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack in the scenic town of Pahalgam, in Kashmir’s Anantnag district, where gunmen killed 26 people in one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in nearly two decades.
Pakistan denied involvement, though tensions escalated as India expelled Pakistani diplomats and nationals, closed a key border crossing and suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which has governed the distribution of river waters between the two countries since 1960.
Pakistan’s top general gathered at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi earlier today to review the geo-strategic environment, with particular focus on the Pakistan-India standoff and the broader regional security situation, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
“The Forum noted, with serious concern, India’s consistent pattern of exploitation of crises to achieve political and military objectives,” the ISPR said. “They have been following a predictable template — whereby internal governance failures are externalized.”
“These incidents have often coincided with unilateral moves by India to alter the status quo, as seen in 2019 when India similarly exploited the Pulwama incident to unilaterally alter the status quo of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, through revocation of Article 370,” it added.
The 2019 Pulwama attack killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and was also blamed on Pakistan before New Delhi revoked the region’s special constitutional status to integrate it in the Indian union, a move repeatedly condemned by Islamabad.
The generals expressed concern that India was now using the Pahalgam shootings to undermine the IWT and “usurp Pakistan’s legitimate and inalienable water rights.”
The statement called the move a dangerous attempt to “weaponize water,” threatening the livelihoods of more than 240 million Pakistanis and increasing strategic instability in South Asia.
The commanders also voiced alarm over what they described as credible evidence of Indian military and intelligence involvement in orchestrating militant violence inside Pakistan.
They accused New Delhi of using the Kashmir attack to divert attention from its own domestic challenges and to provide “operational breathing space” to what they called “Indian terror proxies” targeting Pakistan.
While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and stability, the generals warned that any attempt to impose conflict would be met with a “sure and decisive” response.
Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir praised the operational readiness and morale of Pakistan’s armed forces and emphasized the need for vigilance and proactive readiness across all fronts.
“Deliberate destabilization efforts by the Indian government will be confronted and defeated with resolve and clarity,” the ISPR said.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday sought the assistance of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait in de-escalating tensions with India over an attack that killed 26 tourists in the disputed Kashmir region, his office said.
New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing one of the deadliest attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir in decades, though Islamabad has denied the allegation and suggested a neutral and credible international probe. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have also exchanged gunfire, traded diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s citizens and closed their border as part of a series of punitive and reciprocal measures.
Sharif met with Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi and Kuwaiti Ambassador Nasser Abdulrahman Jasser during the day amid growing concerns of a wider regional conflict following potential Indian actions in response to the Pahalgam attack.
Sharif shared Pakistan’s perspective on recent developments in South Asia following the Kashmir incident, highlighting that his country has made significant sacrifices in its counter-terrorism efforts over the years, not only to safeguard itself but also to contribute to global security. He also rejected the “baseless Indian accusations” linking Islamabad to the April 22 attack.
“The prime minister said it was inconceivable for Pakistan to act in an irresponsible manner to jeopardize its achievements and derail the country from the path of economic progress,” the PM Office said in a statement. “He urged brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia, to impress upon India to de-escalate and defuse tensions. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire for peace and stability in South Asia.”
During his conversation with the Middle Eastern envoys, the Pakistan premier reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral international investigation into the April 22 incident.

He highlighted how Pakistan has been the biggest victim of militant violence and suffered 90,000 casualties with over $152 billion in economic losses.
Sharif said Pakistan would never take any action that could “imperil regional peace and security,” highlighting that his government was focused on consolidating the hard-earned economic gains of the past fifteen months that were achieved with the support of friendly countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Saudi, UAE and Kuwaiti ambassadors thanked Sharif for sharing Pakistan’s stance and reaffirmed their support for maintaining regional peace and security, the PM Office added.
Since last week, top Pakistani leaders have also reached out to senior officials in China, Iran, Egypt and other countries regarding the recent South Asian developments.
The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two wars and one limited conflict over the territory.
The United Nations has urged the two arch-rivals to talk to each other, while China, which shares a border with both India and Pakistan, and other countries have called on both sides to “exercise restraint.”