Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized that improving relations with India requires an effort from both sides. He emphasized that Pakistan has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts since the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government came to power last year.
When asked about Pakistan's relations with India, he emphasized the importance of mutual effort and said, “Afghanistan is our brother. We want strong ties. With India, it takes two to tango. If there is goodwill, We're ready for trade.”
India made a joke about Pakistan's comment. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his weekly briefing: “The relevant 'T' word here is terrorism, not tango.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's statement on ties with India 'it takes two to tango', MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says: 'The relevant 'T' word there is 'terrorism' and not 'tango'… ” pic.twitter.com/2hrTW75ScR
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2025
India has time and again reiterated that 'terror and talks' cannot go together and urged Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism.
The relationship between the two countries came to a standstill after the Pulwama attack of 2019. Pakistan has also downgraded diplomatic ties with India following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dar also announced plans to visit Bangladesh next month, aiming to strengthen economic and trade cooperation. He described Bangladesh as “a lost brother” and noted that Islamabad and Dhaka are rebuilding ties after the fall of the Hasina government last year on August 5 following a student-led protest.
Dar also dismissed claims about the country's isolation, as he said: “When we took office, there was a perception of diplomatic isolation. However, by expanding our diplomatic reach and engaging with regional neighbors, this perception has changed. “
Additionally, Dar touched on Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan, expressing his desire to strengthen ties despite the challenge of terrorism. He criticized former intelligence chief General Faiz Hameed for holding talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and revealed that planned visits to Kabul had been postponed due to terrorist attacks.
Moreover, Pakistan has been facing an increase in terrorism since 2021 when the Afghan Taliban came to power and they have demanded that Afghanistan check the terrorists operating against Pakistan in their territory.
In other developments, Dar highlighted progress in Pakistan's nuclear power sector, announcing the launch of the Chashma 5 (C-5) nuclear power project. He also confirmed the appointment of former Foreign Minister Sohail Mahmood as Secretary General of the D-8 Developing Eight Forum.
