TIANJIN, China: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday condemned Israeli and United States strikes on Iran as “unacceptable”, urging adherence to international law and calling for peaceful resolution of disputes.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin, China, Dar said Pakistan remained fully committed to the regional ceasefire and the cultivation of a stable regional equilibrium.
The SCO is a 10-nation security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. The group’s foreign ministers meet as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders, which will be hosted by China later this year in Tianjin.
“We have strongly condemned the unjustified and illegitimate aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Such illegal actions directed against SCO member States are unacceptable,” Dar said.
He added that Israel has shown a reckless disregard for international norms and humanity through its relentless and disproportionate use of force in Gaza, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of civilians, causing the worst humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We call for an immediate halt to Israel’s atrocities. The only viable remedy to the Palestine dispute is the realisation of a two-State solution which includes the establishment of Palestine as a viable, secure and contiguous State on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al Quds as its capital,” Dar stated.
“Unilateral and illegal measures to change the status of disputed territories in violation of UN Security Council resolutions must be strongly condemned and opposed by all.”
Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today participated in SCO CFMs meeting in Tianjin, China.
🔹Reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the ‘Shanghai Spirit’ and to advancing initiatives aimed at enhancing regional… pic.twitter.com/8T4e4hTRfP
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 15, 2025
Dar said Pakistan was “increasingly concerned at the trends of using aggression as a tool of policy.”
Instead, he called for the resolution of longstanding disputes through peaceful means, dialogue, diplomacy and according to the principles of international law, justice and fairness.
On regional issues, Ishaq Dar said Pakistan sought a relationship of peace and stability with all its neighbours.
“However, the last three months witnessed extremely disturbing developments in South Asia. It is most unfortunate that the attribution of the Pahalgam Attack to Pakistan — without a credible investigation or verifiable evidence — brought the two nuclear-armed states to the brink of a major conflict. In the wake of mounting tensions, Pakistan’s restrained and responsible approach was met with legal transgressions, rhetorical belligerence, and strategic recklessness,” Dar said.
Commitment to ceasefire
“Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to the ceasefire and the cultivation of a stable regional equilibrium. However, we cannot accept that the arbitrary use of force is normalised. We believe that disputes and differences are resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, instead of conflict and coercion. In that backdrop, initiation of a comprehensive and structured dialogue can meaningfully address the full spectrum of issues that have long bedevilled the peace and security in South Asia. Strict adherence to bilateral agreements would be equally important in this regard.”
He said the events unfolding in the region since the April 22 terrorist attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam reaffirmed a “central truth” of South Asian geopolitics: the peaceful settlement of longstanding unresolved disputes was “imperative for an enduring peace” in the region.
Dar added that Afghanistan constitutes a cornerstone of the SCO members’ shared aspiration. He pointed out that the revival of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group could serve as a valuable platform for pragmatic and results-oriented cooperation.
Terrorism
“Terrorism is the common concern of humanity that threatens global security. All forms of terrorism, including state terrorism are condemnable. We must shun the use of terrorism for political purposes and combat this menace through a cooperative approach, including addressing its root causes.”
He said the SCO was a vital platform for realising the benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), pointing out that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship BRI project, not only supplemented the SCO’s vision of regional connectivity and economic integration but also complemented its common objective of shared development and prosperity.
“We need to take concrete steps within existing SCO’s mechanisms for trade and development, and promote the use of national currencies for mutual settlement within the SCO region to avoid international financial shocks. We support the proposal to create SCO alternative development funding mechanism to give needed impetus to various stalled development initiatives.”
“As the permanent chair of the SCO’s Special Working Group dedicated to combating poverty, Pakistan is fully committed to providing the necessary momentum to our collaborative endeavours to address poverty.”
Dar called on the SCO members to also collectively address the “existential threat” of climate change.
Stabilising force
“At a time when the global order is experiencing profound challenges, SCO has emerged as a stabilising force. Its inclusive approach, underscoring the sovereign equality of states and seeking peaceful resolutions to disputes, offers a compelling alternative to aggression, confrontation and zero-sum rivalries. The SCO’s commitment to consensus, development, and mutual respect is a beacon of hope for building a better and equitable world.”
Stressing Pakistan’s commitment to the organisation and its principles, Dar said: “In our pursuit of peace and security, we believe in non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations, as well as seeking no unilateral military superiority in the region.”
