Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has disclosed that Islamabad was just weeks away from launching a targeted clean up operation inside Afghanistan before Qatar intervened and requested de escalation, a mediation effort that ultimately produced no results.
Speaking to reporters, Dar said Qatar’s foreign ministry was in continuous contact after assessing that Pakistan was preparing for action in response to escalating cross border attacks. He added that Pakistan had exercised maximum restraint despite suffering more than four thousand military martyrs and over twenty thousand injured personnel since the Taliban takeover in Kabul.
According to Dar, Pakistan does not wish to conduct operations on the soil of any brotherly Muslim country, however persistent terrorist attacks have stretched patience to its limits. He said Afghan Taliban continue to labour under the misconception that Pakistan is unable to respond militarily.
Dar further confirmed that Iran’s foreign minister recently contacted him, proposing a joint regional framework involving Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye, Iran and other states to deal with the Afghanistan situation collectively.
Pakistan Ready for Peace Mission in Gaza, but Not for Disarming Hamas
The foreign minister said Pakistan is willing, in principle, to contribute troops to a proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza, but will not participate in any role related to disarming Hamas. He stressed that the responsibility for disarmament rests solely with the Palestinian Authority and its law enforcement bodies, noting that several Muslim countries share this position.
He said Pakistan will only take a final decision once the mandate, terms of reference and operational parameters of the proposed force are clarified and agreed at the international level. Malaysia has also expressed reservations, making further consultation necessary.
Regional Diplomacy and Global Security Concerns
Dar also briefed on his recent visits to Russia, Bahrain and the European Union, saying Pakistan’s stance is now widely acknowledged that stability in Afghanistan is essential for peace across the region.
At meetings in Moscow, during the SCO conference and in engagements with NATO officials, discussions focused on regional security, energy cooperation and economic ties. He also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Pakistan.
The foreign minister expressed hope that broader global cooperation against terrorism will eventually take shape, but said regional stability must begin with restoring internal peace.
