Calls for diplomacy to address global tensions
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was a defensive arrangement directed against no country and aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.
Addressing the inaugural session of Margalla Dialogue 2026 in Islamabad, he said the agreement reflected Pakistan’s commitment to collective security and credible deterrence.
The agreement was “directed against no country” and “intended to contribute to regional peace and stability,” he added.
Turning to South Asia, the foreign minister said unresolved disputes, military asymmetries and unilateral actions continued to undermine strategic stability. He said these conditions required restraint and responsible statecraft, adding that strategic uncertainty should not become a justification for strategic adventurism.
“Pakistan’s decisive and calibrated response to India’s unprovoked aggression in May 2025 through Operation Bunyanun-Marsoos demonstrated a resolve and capability to defend our sovereignty,” Dar said.
Dar said, “I pay tribute to our armed forces for their professionalism and resolve in their defence of Pakistan. Our position is very clear,” adding further that “We will defend our sovereignty with determination and pursue peace with equal commitment.”
The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistan’s position on the IWT. “Regional stability also depends on respect for treaty obligations. Pakistan will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights under the IWT and oppose any attempt to weaponise water,” he said.
“Where millions depend on the shared resource, honouring agreements is essential to both human security and confidence between the states,” the foreign minister said.
Dar said rivalry among major powers had reached its peak, while international institutions such as the United Nations were facing political divisions.
The foreign minister said the changing global order posed significant challenges for Pakistan, requiring “strength at home” and “effective diplomacy abroad” to safeguard national security and ensure prosperity.
He said the shape of the emerging world order remained uncertain, but the choices countries made during the transition would determine whether it resulted in greater cooperation or deeper confrontation.
