DPM and FM Ishaq Dar addresses UN Security Council session on Palestine in New York. PHOTO: MOFA
ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Islamabad was fully prepared to navigate a rapidly changing international order, while reaffirming its positions on Jammu and Kashmir, Gaza and regional security.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026, Dar said the global system established after World War II was “in flux”, with norms, institutions and alliances undergoing rapid change.
“The new trends are multipolarity, minilateralism and growing geopolitical disputes,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s foreign policy was geared to respond to the new realities.
He said Pakistan’s foremost priority remained the security of its people and the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Pakistan had also revived ties with the US and expanded cooperation beyond traditional security to trade, technology and investment.
He referred to recent engagements involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Dar said Pakistan had strengthened partnerships across South Asia, including what he described as a significant renewal of ties with Bangladesh after a 12-year hiatus in high-level exchanges.
A trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan and Bangladesh had also been launched to promote regional cooperation, he added.
In the Middle East, he cited a strategic mutual defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia last September, alongside expanded economic cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other Gulf states.
Dar said Pakistan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the period 2025-26, with what he described as an overwhelming majority.
