Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Photo: X/File
ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the Senate that a “major breakthrough” had been made the day before in negotiations between Iran and the United States, but that Israel had launched a significant attack following the development.
Speaking in the upper house on Tuesday, Dar said there had been strong optimism until last night that the Iran-US issue would soon be resolved. “In the end, the matter rests with Allah Almighty,” he said, adding that the prime minister and military leadership were working non-stop. He stressed that Pakistan was not seeking any credit but was focusing on ensuring peace in the region.
Dar informed the gathering about Pakistan’s diplomatic role, stating that Pakistan is the only Islamic country to condemn the attack on Iran. He said he personally contacted the Iranian foreign minister immediately afterwards.
“Within three to four hours, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Arab countries, but our goal remains to deescalate the situation and end the war,” he said.
Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said war was being imposed on Iran and accused world leaders of pursuing their ambitions at the cost of Muslim lives. He warned that the conflict would further destabilize Pakistan and stressed the need for dialogue among the country’s leaders to emerge from the crisis.
He criticized the international community, saying the United Nations Security Council had not yet called for an end to the war. He added that the region was sliding further and further into conflict and violence, saying the real issue behind the crisis was control of the world’s resources.
Describing Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts as laudable, Abbas warned that if the war continued, the government would struggle to deal with inflation and economic pressures.
He added that the prime minister had already proposed talks with the opposition and insisted that negotiations take place. He stressed that key national decisions should be taken through consultations between the government and the opposition.
Separately, Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the Senate that passing ships through the Strait of Hormuz would neither make oil free nor cheaper. Responding to remarks by JUI-F member Maulana Attaur Rehman, he said global crude oil prices had increased significantly since February 28.
He said that although arrangements had been made to ensure the movement of ships due to regional circumstances, this did not translate into a reduction in the price of fuel. “The current availability of oil in the country is due to the passage of these ships, but that does not mean it can be supplied for free or at discounted prices,” he said.
Tarar said the government had shifted the oil tax from diesel to gasoline, noting that diesel prices were currently among the highest in the world, but no levy was levied on the product in Pakistan.
Defending the government’s austerity measures, he said the federal budget had been cut by 50 percent, cabinet members had given up official vehicles and fuel expenses at government offices had also been cut in half.
