Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday briefed heads of diplomatic missions stationed in Islamabad on the state of Pak-Afghan relations and the evolving situation in the Middle East, including Iran.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deputy prime minister informed envoys that Pakistan had exercised patience and pursued positive engagement with the Afghan Taliban government over the past four years. However, he noted that the Afghan authorities had failed to adequately address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.
Dar stated that Pakistan was compelled to take measured and targeted actions to counter the threat of terrorism following what he described as an unprovoked and coordinated armed attack by Afghan forces along the Pak-Afghan border.
Separately, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that the deputy prime minister expressed regret over the reported martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader during the briefing.
Emphasising the need for regional stability, Dar called for de-escalation of tensions and stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through patience, dialogue and diplomacy, the spokesperson added.