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ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as essential instruments to ensure peace, stability and development.
“Dialogue has always been our instrument of choice for stability and progress,” DPM Dar said while speaking on the second day of the three-day Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC).
Addressing parliamentarians, delegates and participants from across the globe here, the DPM said their presence reflected a shared belief that cooperation among nations remained the surest path to peace and progress.
Dar emphasized that diplomacy today extends beyond ministries and traditional missions and draws strength from public awareness and parliamentary engagement.
“Parliamentary diplomacy complements traditional diplomacy by bringing the perspective of people’s representatives into international discourse,” he said, stressing that such interactions enrich global cooperation and ensure that diplomacy reflects the aspirations and interests of citizens worldwide.
The minister praised parliamentarians for their vital role in translating international commitments into national action, simplifying regulations and enabling innovation to ensure growth benefits all citizens. He said that through regional connectivity, trade facilitation and investment partnerships, economies could achieve shared prosperity.
Referring to the ongoing global challenges, Dar noted that the world was witnessing an era of transformation marked by strained trust in multilateral institutions, growing geopolitical rivalries, climate crises, terrorism and growing inequalities.
“At such a moment, forums like this are of unique importance,” he noted. “Multilateralism must not only be preserved but revitalized through openness, inclusion and the active participation of people’s representatives”.
Pointing out this year’s theme, “Peace, Security and Development”, the FM said it underscored a simple but powerful truth – that peace enables growth, development sustains peace and security strengthens progress. He urged that institutions must be responsible and inclusive so that the benefits of peace and development reach all people.
Condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Wana and Islamabad that claimed 15 lives, Dar said Pakistan categorically rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. “These cowardly acts will never shake our national resolve to eliminate this menace,” he said, affirming that dialogue, understanding and partnership remain the only sustainable path to peace and security.
Reiterating that Pakistan’s foreign policy was anchored in the principles of the UN Charter – sovereign equality, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference and friendly relations between nations, Dar noted Pakistan’s consistent advocacy of regional cooperation, conflict prevention and equitable development.
He noted that the conference, convened under the Senate of Pakistan through the vision of the President of the Senate and ISC’s founding chairman, Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani, marked another milestone in Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to promote peace, security and development through multilateralism.
“As the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House in the Senate, I am reminded that Pakistan’s journey on the international stage has always been defined by resilience, dialogue and partnership,” Dar said, adding that the ISC provided a unique platform to translate these principles into tangible results that advance Pakistan’s interests while strengthening regional stability.
Bridge between Global South and Global North
Highlighting Pakistan’s leadership in the UN, he recalled that during its presidency of the UN Security Council in July 2025, Pakistan had called for an open debate on promoting international peace through multilateralism, which led to the unanimous adoption of a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on strengthening mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution.
“Pakistan’s experience uniquely positions it as a bridge between the Global South and the Global North and between regions and civilizations.
“We believe that cooperation must replace competition and fair partnerships, not hierarchies, should define the future international order,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Dar urged the participants to reaffirm their faith in dialogue and cooperation. “Pakistan is ready to continue serving as a bridge builder, uniting regions, amplifying the voices of developing countries and promoting peace through justice and dialogue,” he said. “At the end of the day, diplomacy, whether in the chamber or the chancellery, must serve the people”.
He added that the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers Conference embodied this spirit of people-centred diplomacy, rooted in representation, anchored in accountability and driven by empathy, paving the way for a fairer, safer and more prosperous world for all.
