Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, addressing an annual news briefing in Islamabad, said the country’s diplomatic stature has risen steadily despite mounting pressure and a precariously complex global environment.
Dar noted that Pakistan’s diplomacy has moved forward for consecutive years with an unwavering focus on balance and realism.
He said the recent visit of the UAE President was scintillating in its outcomes, neither flashy nor timid, but marked by candour and calm confidence.
The visit, he added, helped Pakistan step away from the oblivion of isolation and toward renewed relevance.
Multiple agreements were signed in energy, banking, and real estate, sectors that Dar called indispensable for long term stability.
These deals, he said, are the hinge on which future growth will turn. The agreements were negotiated with finesse, not ruthlessly, and reflected Pakistan’s revamped and more frugal diplomatic style careful, not combustible.
‘The goodwill we received is not a mere speck of praise,’ Dar said, calling it a benevolent signal from allies. He described China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE as pillars of support, whose benevolence helped Pakistan withstand economic erosion. For many expatriate Pakistanis, he said, this progress is a form of national redemption.
Speaking on regional security, Dar rejected what he termed India’s stubborn rhetoric. He said India continues to allege violations without proof, a pattern that has become baffling to neutral observers.
He reiterated that the Indus Waters Treaty is a binding tenet of international law and not an obscure document to be ignored by oversight or convenience.
Referring to recent hostilities, Dar said Pakistan acted with adequate force and remained unflustered under strain. He claimed that Indian actions, taken unwittingly, backfired and were marred by poor hindsight.
‘We did not go on the prey for escalation,’ he said, ‘but we were not constrained from defending ourselves.’
He described the attack on Nur Khan Airbase as an unlucky miscalculation, adding that Pakistan’s response was precise, not a wild harpoon, but a measured move with wings furled once objectives were met. The country’s forces, he said, stood gaunt yet resolute, their demeanour calm under pressure.
Dar said Pakistan prefers peace and persuasion, but will thwart any aggression that threatens sovereignty. ‘Our policy is not strewn with bravado,’ he said, ‘but built on realism.’ He warned that ignoring treaties could prove perilously short sighted.
Looking ahead, Dar said Pakistan envisages deeper global engagement and plans to convene more high level dialogues.
He said the country’s rise is staggering not in noise but in substance, driven by varied partnerships and clear priorities.
‘History will judge this phase at the pinnacle of Pakistan’s diplomatic revival,’ he concluded, adding that while challenges remain, the journey so far reflects discipline, clarity, and a steady climb not a blotch on the record, but a mark of purpose.
