Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for making Pakistan an economic power following the defining military victory over India during the four-day conflict in May.
"We now have to make Pakistan an economic power," said DPM Ishaq Dar while addressing a yearly news conference in Islamabad on Saturday.
DPM Dar said Pakistan's foreign policy stature had improved globally and the country's position was being heard and acknowledged at international forums.
Dar also credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for efforts aimed at strengthening the economy, saying the government was working to ensure long-term financial stability.
"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is making continuous efforts to stabilise the country economically," he said.
He went onto say that Saudi Arabia had supported Pakistan in securing the International Monetary Fund programme, adding, China has deposited $4 billion in Pakistan, while the UAE has placed $3 billion.
Referring to tensions with India, Dar said Pakistan had shot down Indian aircraft during recent hostilities. "We shot down seven Indian aircraft during the war," he said, adding that "Pakistan did not ask anyone for a ceasefire."
During the four-day war, Dar said, India sent 80 drones over a 36-hour period; Pakistan shot down 79 of them, while one drone managed to strike a military installation, injuring one person.
He added that the United States secretary of state contacted him directly following Pakistan’s befitting response to Indian aggression.
DPM Dar said that Pakistan must now concentrate on becoming an economic power, noting that trade with the US had reached $13.28 billion and was currently in surplus.
Dar said Washington had designated the BLA and Majid Brigade as global terrorist organisations this year, while counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries had also increased.
Dar welcomed the visit of the UAE president to Pakistan, saying, "The UAE president had promised the prime minister a visit to Pakistan this year, and his visit is a positive development."
He added that discussions during the visit focused on "bilateral trade, investment and the energy sector."
The deputy premier said that the UAE had earlier provided $3 billion to Pakistan, noting that the rollover of $1 billion was due a few weeks ago.
The government engaged the UAE, which agreed to buy shares in Fauji Foundation that will end the liability, he added.
Dar thanked the country for its cooperation, hoping that the transaction would be completed by March 31, 2026.
According to DPM Dar, discussions have also been held on rolling over $2 billion due in January, with Islamabad seeking to persuade the UAE to reinvest the sum in Pakistan.
He said that when the prime minister took the oath, Pakistan was viewed as diplomatically isolated, a situation he said had now changed.
On regional issues, Dar reiterated that lasting peace in South Asia was impossible without resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and condemned India’s demographic changes in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
He said that Islamabad would engage Bangladesh in talks following the latter's general elections scheduled to be held in February next year.
Pakistan's diplomatic outreach had widened, he said, highlighting renewed engagement with the European Union through a strategic dialogue in Brussels after a four-year hiatus and close coordination with China.
Highlighting ties with Beijing, Dar said Pakistan’s relations with China were "ideal" and described the country as a highly reliable partner.
He recalled that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Pakistan in August, during which a trilateral meeting was first held in Kabul. Dar also noted that President Asif Ali Zardari had visited China multiple times in the past and continued to show interest in another visit.
Turning to the Middle East, Dar highlighted the strategic mutual defence agreement signed with Saudi Arabia on September 17, covering cooperation in defence, energy, technology and mining, adding that ties with Turkiye, Iran, Gulf states and Central Asian countries remained strong.
He added that contacts with Iran had increased and that Pakistan had condemned the attack on Iran on June 13.
He further said Pakistan enjoyed close ties with Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, reflecting what he described as a broad-based and balanced foreign policy approach.
At the same briefing, Dar also affirmed that Pakistan will not take steps to disarm Hamas, clarifying the country's position amid rising tensions over Palestine.
His clarification comes just days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was grateful to Pakistan for its openness to considering a role in the proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Washington, Rubio responded to a question on whether the US had received Pakistan's consent to send troops to Gaza for peacebuilding and peacemaking and said: "We are very grateful to Pakistan for their offer to be a part of [the peacekeeping force] or at least their offer to consider being a part of it."
In today’s briefing, DPM Dar said that the civil and military leadership were fully aligned on not sending troops to Gaza for the purpose of disarming Hamas.
Dar condemned Israel’s continued violations of the peace deal, which have resulted in the killing of hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children.
"Israel is still breaching the agreement, and we are condemning it," added.
DPM Dar noted that the eight Muslim countries, including five Arab states, have decided to work with the US for peace in Palestine.
Pointing out the uniformity of statements, he noted that all eight foreign ministers issued the same statement on developments regarding peace in Palestine.
