Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan is not busy holding conversations with India, but ready for dialogue if New Delhi shows seriousness.
Dar claimed a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday and claimed that Pakistan’s tale of Kashmir has been based on the truth and that Pakistan has successfully received India’s attitude. “We are not Feige as India; Pakistan’s answer was fully transparent,” he said.
“We never prayed the world or any other country about the ceasefire; they did on their own. There should be dialogue, but it must be between the two countries. When India is ready, we will be ready too. We do not have to ask for anyone, just as we did not do it for the ceasefire,” he added.
Deputy PM explained that the recent truce along the control line (LOC) was secured after a call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where India first agreed, followed by Pakistan.
“The ceasefire is progressing successfully in phases, though it is regrettable that a neighboring Minister of Defense rejected it as a pure trailer and said that the real story has not yet come. Real honor lies in making peace,” he added.
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In response to India’s claims of banned organizations operating in Murideke and Bahawalpur, Dar said Pakistan exposed the facts by allowing journalists to visit these places. “If we had something to hide, we wouldn’t have taken this step,” he said.
DPM, which highlights China’s support for Pakistan’s attitude towards Kashmir, said the Chinese leadership agrees with the unresolved Kashmir -is the central cause of regional tension. “We have postponed India’s improbability on global platforms, and the world no longer blindly believes in their claims,” he added.
DAR described his recent visit to China as an extraordinary tour of bilateral meetings and a trilateral consultation session with China and Afghanistan, confirming full implementation of decisions made at the Kabul meeting on April 19.
He said he held key meetings with Chinese delegations on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he attended a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers in Pakistan, China and Afghanistan focusing on Afghan refugees, regional security and trade. The three countries agreed to prevent their territories from being used for terrorism.
DPM noted China’s readiness to start CPEC-II in partnership with the current government and thanked Beijing for his support for the IMF Bailout package.
Dar, who remembers progress with the Pakistan-Afghanistan Rail Transit project, initiated under the former Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Dar said Uzbekistan was also brought into the plan. “Discussions with China indicate that they are willing to invest in this railway transit initiative,” he added.
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He said the rail project involving Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, is approaching the completion. The countries also discussed expanding the belt and road initiative through Afghanistan and the Peshawar-Kabul Highway project.
“If China builds the Peshawar-Kabul motorway, access to Central Asia will be easier and Gwadar Port will be fully operational,” DPM said.
Dar by tackling regional security condemned Dar the recent deadly attack on a school bus in Khuzdar, Balochistan and called the happened heartbreaking. He promised that the days of terrorists in the region are numbered and promised to eliminate them soon.
“We can’t change our neighbors,” he said, adding that diplomatic, trade and other issues were discussed in China. He emphasized that Afghanistan’s territory must not be used against Pakistan for terrorism.
With regard to Afghan refugees, DAR announced a new policy that offers a one-year visa at several years of entry with a $ 100 treatment fee. Pakistan is moving towards a single-document system to streamline refugee registration.
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He further emphasized China’s deep interests in Pakistan’s stability and the common goal of eradicating terrorism. Pakistan, China and Afghanistan agreed to prevent the growth of terrorist groups and intensify terrorist efforts.
At multilateral cooperation, DAR revealed that China is establishing a larger international mediation organization modeled by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which will have headquarters in Hong Kong.
He confirmed plans to expand CPEC-II through Afghanistan, including highway construction from Karachi to Hyderabad and Succo and a motorway from Peshawar to Kabul. This infrastructure opens trade corridors through Uzbekistan to Central Asia and activates the Gwadar Port as a regional hub.
Dar criticized the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and said it was unsuccessful due to a country’s “stubbornness and monopolistic attitude” which refers to India. He suggested integrating Saarc countries into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to form a stronger regional block.
“Upgrading rail lines from Karachi to Peshawar and connecting Central Asia via Gwadar could initiate new economic growth for Pakistan and the wider region,” he said.
