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Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed that improving relations with India requires a two-way effort. He emphasised that Pakistan has been actively engaging in diplomatic efforts since the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government took office last year.
When asked about Pakistan's relations with India, he stressed the importance of mutual effort, and said, "Afghanistan is our brother. We want strong ties. With India, it takes two to tango. If there's goodwill, we are ready for trade."
India took a jibe at Pakistan's comment. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The relevant 'T' word here is terrorism, not tango", during his weekly briefing.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Pakistan Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's statement regarding 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 reiterated time and again that "terror and talks" do not go together, and urged Pakistan to stop cross border terrorism.
The relationship between the two countries have been icy since the 2019 Pulwama Attack and Pakistan further downgraded the diplomatic ties with India after 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 "like a lost brother" and noted that Islamabad and Dhaka are rebuilding ties after the fall of the Hasina government last year, on August 5, after a student-led protest.
Dar also rejected claims of the country's isolation as he said, "When we assumed office, there was a perception of diplomatic isolation. However, by expanding our diplomatic reach and engaging with regional neighbours, this perception has changed."
Additionally, Dar addressed Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan, expressing a desire to strengthen ties despite the challenge of terrorism. He criticised former intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed for engaging in talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and revealed that planned visits to Kabul were postponed due to terrorist attacks.
Moreover, Pakistan has been facing a rise in terrorism since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came to power, and they have demanded that Afghanistan should control the terrorists who are operating on their soil against Pakistan.
In other developments, Dar highlighted progress in Pakistan's nuclear energy sector, announcing the launch of the Chashma 5 (C-5) nuclear power project. He also confirmed the appointment of former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood as Secretary General of the D-8 Developing Eight Forum.