Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said the government was making all-out efforts to turn the country from being just a nuclear power to becoming an economic power.
At a press conference in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Dar outlined the government’s efforts to achieve economic stability and enhance Pakistan’s diplomatic footprint through bilateral and multilateral engagements, the latest being the start of the mandate two years of the country as a non-permanent member. of the United Nations Security Council for 2025-26.
Highlighting Pakistan’s high-level exchanges and participation and organization of international events, he said the incumbent government had made efforts to improve the country’s diplomatic footprint during its first 10 months, giving the impression that an “isolated Pakistan “was buried. .
FM Dar told the media that following the visits of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and effective engagements with the leaders of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Azerbaijan, there were indications of an investment of around 29 billion dollars in Pakistan.
He highlighted Pakistan’s participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit, the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Gambia and the visits of Saudi Foreign Minister, late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He said that during all previous interactions, Pakistan had effectively raised the issue of Kashmir and the ongoing Israeli annihilation of the Palestinian population. Dar added that Pakistan’s consistent efforts at the OIC summit in Gambia led to the appointment of an OIC envoy on Islamophobia.
He said Pakistan was among the few countries that strongly stood for the implementation of the UN resolutions on Palestine and the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the issue, besides condemning Israel’s barbarity against innocent people.
He added that in addition to hosting Palestinian medical students, Pakistan also sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.
Regarding his multiple interactions with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Foreign Secretary Dar said a UK monitoring team was about to visit Pakistan in January, which could follow the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines flights to the United Kingdom, as the European Union had already lifted the ban. on the national flag carrier.
Dar said that Pakistan’s hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit was “welcome and praised” and informed the media that the Muslim World League would soon hold an event on girls’ education at the Center for Jinnah Conventions to be attended by 50 delegates from OIC States, including 30 ministers.
The deputy prime minister also said that as Pakistan had begun its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the country would make efforts to improve diplomatic outreach, work towards dispute resolution and uphold the UN charter. .
Responding to a question, Foreign Minister Dar told the media that Pakistan had eliminated terrorism in 2018 but it resurfaced due to the previous government’s policy of opening the Afghan border and releasing hardcore criminals.
On trade ties with India, he said “it takes two to tango”, and called on India to create an environment that would help improve relations.
