DPM and FM Ishaq Dar address the UN Security Council session on Palestine in New York. PHOTO: MOFA
ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Islamabad is fully prepared to confront a rapidly transforming international order, while reaffirming its positions on Jammu and Kashmir, Gaza and regional security.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026, Dar said the global system established after World War II was “in flux”, with norms, institutions and alliances undergoing rapid change.
“The emerging trends are multipolarity, minilateralism and growing geopolitical contestation,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s foreign policy was equipped to respond to the new realities.
He said Pakistan’s first priority remains the security of its people and the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its ties with the United States, expanding cooperation beyond traditional security to encompass trade, technology and investment.
He discussed recent engagements involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Dar said Pakistan had strengthened its partnerships across South Asia, including what he described as a substantial renewal of ties with Bangladesh after a 12-year hiatus in high-level exchanges.
A trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan and Bangladesh has also been launched to promote regional cooperation, he added.
In the Middle East, he cited a strategic mutual defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia in September last year, as well as expanded economic cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other Gulf states.
Dar discussed Pakistan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term, with what he described as an overwhelming majority.
