Islamabad — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that while Islamabad maintains strong diplomatic ties with the United States, this relationship does not equate to unconditional support—especially when American policies appear unjust.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Dar emphasized that Pakistan remains clear-eyed about regional dynamics and firmly opposed the notion of blindly backing any nation, even longstanding allies like the US. His comments came amid heightened tensions following the United States’ bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities, which has led to a 12-day-long conflict between Iran and Israel.
Dar addressed the media following the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers’ meeting, during which the Iran-Israel war was a central issue. He highlighted Pakistan’s role in ensuring the OIC convened a special session on Iran, which was agreed upon by member states.
The foreign minister underlined that Pakistan had been actively engaging with Iranian authorities at various levels. He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally spoken with the Iranian leadership, and that Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach was well-received in both the Iranian parliament and at the UN Security Council.
In a related development, Dar mentioned a high-level meeting held in Istanbul during Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit. The session included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and other Turkish officials, focusing on the escalating situation in Iran.
According to Dar, Tehran had informed Islamabad that, although Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons, it could not remain unresponsive after the US airstrikes. In retaliation, Iran reportedly launched an attack on a US airbase in Qatar.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s position: valuing its strategic relationship with Washington, but not at the cost of endorsing military aggression. “Support for peace does not mean silence in the face of injustice,” he noted.
He concluded by reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peace and to ongoing efforts aimed at upholding the ceasefire.
