ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday underlined the urgent need to eradicate the menace of terrorism, stressing that a clear future strategy must be devised to counter India’s ongoing proxy war in the region.
Addressing the Senate, Dar strongly condemned the recent attack on children in Khuzdar, describing it as a cowardly and reprehensible act.
“The attack on innocent children is unacceptable. Indian proxies must cease their operations,” he added.
He asked India to learn from its past failures and stressed that terrorism must be eradicated not only from Pakistan but from the entire region.
“They should learn a hard lesson from what happened to them just a few days ago,” he said while referring to huge losses faced by India in a recent conflict with Pakistan.
“The curse of terrorism must end. The prime minister and military leadership are fully focused on this issue,” he said. “To devise a roadmap against terrorism, key ministries — including Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Defence — should be invited to form a special committee that outlines a way forward for the nation,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
He informed the House that during his recent official visit to China, the issue of terrorism elimination was comprehensively discussed under special arrangements with Chinese authorities, where Afghanistan was also invited.
He endorsed the sentiments expressed by both sides of the House and stressed the need for a strategic and coordinated national response.
“I propose that instead of general speeches, we must determine a clear line of action,” he said. Dar recommended the formation of a special committee involving relevant ministries and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive counter-terrorism policy.
Recalling the tragic Army Public School (APS) incident, Dar stated that the nation still vividly remembers the heartbreaking scenes from the attack—an event that became a turning point and led to the formulation of the National Action Plan.
“However, some parts of that plan remain unimplemented,” he noted, adding that policy reversals by previous governments had weakened national efforts.
He slammed the release of certain individuals under executive authority and regretted past policies that allowed 30,000 to 35,000 individuals to enter through porous borders without proper checks. “This has now resulted in serious repercussions for our country,” he added.
Dar emphasized that the entire leadership, including the Prime Minister, the Army Chief, and law enforcement agencies, is fully focused on counter-terrorism efforts. “We must all unite to eliminate this menace not only from Pakistan but from the entire region,” he concluded.
China visit ‘highly successful’
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar called his recent three-day China visit ‘highly successful.’
Addressing a news conference, he said that it was not a routine diplomatic engagement but with clear and urgent objectives, also featuring bilateral meetings with the Chinese leadership and trilateral dialogues involving Afghanistan.
Dar told the media that a clear agreement was reached with both China and Afghanistan that no terrorist organization — whether TTP, BLA, or others — would be allowed to use any country’s soil against another.
Dar announced that discussions on CPEC Phase 2 were detailed and promising. “We have successfully laid the groundwork for expanded cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
He confirmed that China had expressed its intent to finance the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway project, calling it a transformative step for regional connectivity. “We have already sent a draft framework to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. While the meeting is proposed for May 29–30, I am committed to finalizing this by early June,” Dar added.
He said that financing and coordination for this project had been taken up directly with China, which had responded positively.
Reflecting on security cooperation, Dar stated, “China has deep concerns over attacks on its personnel in Pakistan. I assured them that we are addressing these threats seriously. We discussed a permanent mechanism to prevent cross-border terrorism, and I commend both China and Afghanistan for aligning with our zero-tolerance stance.”
He reiterated that during Pakistan’s previous government from 2013 to 2017, over $4 billion was spent on Operation Zarb-e-Azb, effectively crushing terrorism. “Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated due to the previous regime’s lax border policies and the release of hardcore terrorists,” he said. “Now, our resolve is clear: we will crush terrorism with an iron hand, as we did before.”
Chinese support
Dar emphasised that the Chinese leadership stood by Pakistan on all core issues. “They reiterated their support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly backed Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, calling for a resolution in line with UN Security Council resolutions. We reaffirmed our support for the One-China policy, including Tibet.”
Addressing the regional security environment, Dar stated, “We have successfully countered the Indian narrative, especially regarding the events of 2019. We offered an international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, which India declined. Our transparency strengthened Pakistan’s credibility, and several international actors endorsed our position after verifying the facts.”
He condemned Indian attacks and shared that during the recent conflict, 75 Indian aircraft were launched, 24 payloads dropped, and multiple aircraft, including Rafales and a UAV, were downed by Pakistan.
“We responded in daylight under the UN Charter — not as cowards, but as a responsible, sovereign nation.”
Ceasefire agreement
He confirmed that the ceasefire agreement, brokered after US Secretary Rubio’s call, was holding and said that military-to-military engagements via DGMOs were progressing smoothly. “Our deterrence is defensive, not aggressive. We have never built our nukes and missiles to attack others, but to safeguard peace.”
The Deputy Prime Minister called recent remarks by the Indian Defence Minister “regrettable” and said, “Pakistan desires peace. However, we will always defend our sovereignty with full force when challenged.”
Ties with Afghanistan
Dar highlighted his government’s commitment to improving ties with Afghanistan. “We have religious, cultural, historical, and geographical ties with Afghanistan. Our outreach was welcomed across Afghan society. We need to progress beyond the charge d’affaires level and engage substantively.”
He announced an extension of the transit document regime for Afghan drivers and vehicles until June 30 and introduced a single document regime of $100 multiple-entry visa for Afghan citizens. “These initiatives were deeply appreciated by Afghan officials,” he noted.
