Says Nawaz meeting with Imran out of question; Reaffirms govt’s openness to engage with all parties; Credits PM for economic gains
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday praised the Pakistan People’s Party for its continued support to the ruling coalition and reaffirmed that the PPP remains a trusted ally, despite the Pakistan Muslim League-N securing a simple majority in the National Assembly.
Speaking to reporters at Data Darbar, Dar said the current government was initially formed with critical support from the PPP. “When we started, our numbers were incomplete without them. Now that we have a simple majority, there’s no difficulty — but we will continue cooperating with PPP even more than before,” he said.
In response to a question about offering ministries to the Pakistan People’s Party, Deputy Prime Minister said that the PPP had made no such request. “They are our allies and will remain so. We have an excellent working relationship, and they have extended full support to us,” he said. “Those who stand by you in difficult times are not abandoned when things get better.”
Dar noted that both parties had signed a formal agreement, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif representing the PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari signing on behalf of the PPP. “That agreement is a sacred document for us, and we are fully committed to its implementation.”
Addressing recent political speculation, the deputy prime minister categorically denied reports of a meeting between PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and PTI founder Imran Khan.
He described the claims as “baseless rumours” and a “sponsored narrative”, adding that such stories were deliberately floated to create confusion. “These are merely someone’s wishlist. We have no need to approach anyone,” he said.
He reaffirmed the government’s openness to engaging with all political parties, saying it was prepared to work across the aisle in the national interest. “When Pakistan was under threat, we engaged not just with coalition partners, but also the opposition. The result was a unified message heard around the world.”
Discussing the economic outlook, Dar said the country had narrowly avoided default in April 2022 when the PDM government took office. “Had that change not happened, we might have defaulted. Yes, we paid a political price — but it stabilised the economy. Today, our reserves stand at $14.5 billion as of June 30.”
He credited PM Shehbaz efforts for key economic gains, including the reduction of interest rates from 22% to 11% and improvements in per capita income.
Ishaq Dar highlighted a diplomatic breakthrough with the United Arab Emirates, where he met Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on June 24. “This was the first meeting of the bilateral economic commission in 12 years. We resolved longstanding visa issues, and talks are underway to include blue passport holders as well.”
On Pakistan’s ties with Iran, Dar said Tehran now sees Islamabad as a sincere ally. “We condemned Israeli aggression against Iran and extended full diplomatic support to a brotherly country,” he said.
Touching on defence and regional matters, Dar said Pakistan had responded firmly to Indian hostility in the past. “India started the war, and we shot down six of their fighter jets. We stood our ground and defeated a much larger enemy,” he said.
While the ceasefire along the Line of Control was holding, he acknowledged that tensions could always escalate. “India’s war rhetoric seems driven by domestic compulsions. We remain alert — we’ve handled such situations before and will continue to do so.”
On domestic governance, Dar said corruption must be tackled across all provinces, including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, through due legal process. Accountability should be uniform,” he added.
Praising the armed forces, he said: “We are proud of our military. Pakistan currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council.”
He emphasised that Pakistan is now on a path of development. “Inflation is decreasing, prosperity is returning, and employment opportunities will rise. In 2022, the country was in deep crisis, and without a change in leadership, we could have defaulted. We bore political losses to put the country first.”
“The economy is stabilising, and we are proud of our armed forces, who are bravely fighting terrorism. Our soldiers are sending extremists to hell.” He concluded by saying, “Iran has realised that Pakistan is its true friend. Iranian parliament chanted ‘Thank You Pakistan’ slogans, and Pakistani flags were seen at the funerals of Iranian martyrs.”
