Key Points
- Foreign Minister reveals Arab and non-Arab Muslim states eye similar defence accords with Islamabad
- Reiterates Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan as “not authored by Muslim states”
- Cites Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Palestinian statehood with Jerusalem as its capital
- Clarifies Shamma Junejo’s role in UN engagements, updates House on detained flotilla Pakistanis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday stated that several Arab and non-Arab Muslim nations have approached Pakistan to establish agreements similar to its recent defence pact with Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar was delivering a policy speech on the floor of the National Assembly when he said it reflects increasing trust in Islamabad’s role within the Muslim world.
The outreach following the signing of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is a milestone in bilateral security cooperation, he added.
However, he rushed to add that Pakistan would weigh its options before moving to another defence pact of the sort. “
After our accord with Saudi Arabia, other Arab as well as non-Arab Muslim countries have conveyed interest in similar arrangements,” Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying.
He also recalled, while addressing the Lower House of the Parliament, that several foreign ministers met him on the sidelines of the UNGA session last month, exploring similar opportunities. “If so many Muslim countries join a defence pact, it would make a new eastern NATO,” he said, without elaborating on how the bilateral accords could replicate a multilateral alliance.
Gaza plan rejected again
Dar also reiterated Pakistan’s rejection of the US-announced 20-point Gaza plan. He told lawmakers that the document did not represent Muslim consensus and could not be owned by Islamabad.
Not our document
“These 20 points are not ours. This is not our document, and Pakistan does not endorse it,” Dar said, as reported by APP. He has also underlined that this was the second time he had dismissed the plan, following his earlier press conference in Islamabad, where he had already rejected it.
Quaid’s vision recalled
Reiterating Pakistan’s consistent and principled position, he said that the two-state solution was the only viable path to a just and lasting peace, through the establishment of a contiguous, independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Foreign Office quoted him in a statement.
The Deputy Prime Minister underlined the historical roots of Pakistan’s stance that had emanated from the country’s founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision. That remains our position today, and it will be,” he said, reaffirming Islamabad’s alignment with its founding principles.
Delegation queries addressed
Responding to some opposition members’ questions over the presence of British-Pakistani activist Shamma Junejo in Pakistan’s UN-related engagements in New York, Dar clarified that she was not part of the official government delegation. Her (Junejo’s) involvement was confined to civil society interactions and did not reflect state policy.
Pakistanis aboard flotilla
The Foreign Minister also briefed the House on the condition of Pakistani nationals aboard the Gaza aid flotilla seized by Israeli forces. He assured lawmakers that diplomatic channels were being used to press for their release and to convey Pakistan’s concerns to relevant authorities.
Policy continuity
Dar said Pakistan’s foreign policy was consistent, principled, and anchored in solidarity with oppressed peoples. He stressed that Islamabad would continue raising the Palestinian cause at international forums and building partnerships with Muslim states to strengthen collective security. Lawmakers across the benches urged the government to sustain clarity and resolve in foreign policy.
