Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has declared that the Muslim Ummah must move beyond rhetoric to concrete action in order to deter aggression against Islamic countries, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.
In the wake of Israel’s unprecedented strike on Qatari soil, Muslim leaders held an emergency summit in Doha to weight their response.
Pakistan, the Islamic world’s only nuclear power, warned that words alone will not deter further aggression.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan, as part of the Ummah or global community of Muslim believers, “will discharge its duty”.
Also Read: Pakistan suggests formation of Arab-Islamic task force at Doha summit
He also discussed whether the Islamic bloc can deliver legal, financial, or diplomatic consequences, and how far Islamabad is prepared to go.
Responding to a question about the possible position Islamabad would take in case a united body in the Middle East was formed to stop Israeli aggression, Dar said Pakistan has “very large” and “effective” armed forces that have proven their capabilities in conventional warfare.
The interview, recorded ahead of Arab-Islamic summit on Israel’s recent strikes in Qatar and published late on Monday night, saw Dar in conversation with Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javed. who asked the foreign minister if the formation of a united body in the Middle East, away from the United Nations structure, to intervene in Gaza was an option on the table.
To that, Dar began his response by mentioning that “vis a vis UN Security Council, a mechanism could be chalked out”.
“For example, they have [imposed] very serious sanctions on countries that don’t listen to them. And that is a very severe economic dent or pain they can cause to any country.”
He then went on to say that there had been talk along the lines of “some sort of combined security force” during recent interactions among Arab nations and the Arab League.
Dar added, “Why not? What’s wrong with that? They should [have a combined force]. And according to their own capacity, own strength, they should create some mechanism. Not for aggression purpose, but for peaceful purposes, for stopping the aggressor, for stopping the occupier, for stopping someone who just doesn’t listen.”
“Nuclear-powered Pakistan, obviously, as a member of the Ummah, would discharge its duty,” replied Dar, further clarifying Pakistan saw nuclear weapons only for deterrence and didn’t intend to use them. “We have no intention of using it; it is only a deterrence.”
He continued: “But Pakistan has a very large, known, very effective army, very effective air force, very effective navy … We have proved that we can beat even conventionally, if challenged.”
The interviewer then brought up a recent debate at the UN Security Council where Israel had invoked a 2011 attack within Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden in a bid to justify its attacks in Gaza.
“So if now Pakistan comes under attack, from a country like the United States, for instance, would Pakistan act differently?” he asked.
“We would not allow the breach of our territorial integrity, no matter by whom, be it the smallest or the largest country. We would respond. But I don’t see any reason why the US or any other country would do it. India did it. You saw what happened to them,” replied Dar.
To a question, Dar highlighted the “positive” role the US had played in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following a recent escalation between the two countries in May.
Sharing his views Israeli attack on Qatar, Dar said Israel’s reasons to attack a sovereign country were “totally baseless”. He pointed out that Qatar was mediating talks, along with the US and Egypt, for peace in Gaza when that attack happened, terming Israel’s actions “rogue”.
Dar highlighted that Israel had attacked multiple countries in the Middle East and said that international laws, international humanitarian rules and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and UN Security Council resolutions seemed to have “no effect on one country, which is repeatedly doing what it feels like”.
Dar also gave the example of India, mentioning that “some country had claimed to have hegemony, to be the net security provider, to be the captain of the entire region”. But “you saw what happened between May 7 and 10. It’s all settled. The hegemony is buried,” he added.
To a question about whether Israel could attack Pakistan next after Qatar, Dar reminded that India had tried that and Israel “gave it full support according to our information” and the “world saw that the claim is exposed”.
“We are ready. Again, I repeat, we want peace. The nuclear-armed state does not want any destabilisation in the region because that will have consequences beyond,” he added, stressing the need for collective efforts for reforms in UN Security Council resolutions.
Ishaq Dar stressing the need for serious reforms in the multilateral system, emphasised that the UN Security Council must evolve mechanisms to enforce its resolutions through physical actions or interventions. “The UN Security Council is meant to maintain peace and security, but if its resolutions are ignored—as we’ve seen for years with Israel vis-à-vis Palestine and Gaza, and India vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir—what can we expect from the multilateral system? … Concrete steps must be taken, and the international community mobilized… If it is not done, then multilateral system has already gone too weak,” the deputy prime minister said.
He said that Qatar was engaged in mediation for peace at the time of the Israeli attack, which reflected the rogue attitude of an aggressor, repeatedly targeting one country after another — Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and now Qatar.
He said that unfortunately, international law, humanitarian rules, OIC resolutions, and UN Security Council resolutions had no effect on one country that does what it pleases.
He said that following attack on Qatar, Pakistan, as a non-permanent elected UNSC member, moved with Somalia and Algeria to summon a special session and also mobilized OIC partners for Arab Islamic summit and activated the human rights body in Geneva.
Ishaq Dar said that Israel’s rogue attitude likely aimed to derail mediation efforts, reflecting its unwillingness to have peace.
Calling for complete focus on dialogue and diplomacy as the “best answer to complex situations”, he said that even the non-Muslim countries were now favouring the Muslims suffering in Gaza. “Food has been weaponized, over 60,000 people have died in the last two years, and 160,000 have been injured, including women and children. The time for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire is now, alongside an unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance.”
He said that Pakistan believed every state, big or small, deserved equal dignity and respect.
Referring to the Pakistan-India conflict between May 7 to 10, he said the Indian claims of being a regional hegemon or net security provider were buried as Pakistan acted in self-defence after it was forced into war.
He told the interviewer that as a nuclear-armed state, Pakistan did not want destabilization in the region, as it would have far-reaching consequences.
The deputy prime minister said that Israel had done nothing to implement UN resolutions on Palestine, while India unilaterally revoked special status of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He viewed that mechanisms like severe economic sanctions could be applied to countries that ignore UNSC resolutions, creating significant pain.
The deputy prime minister appreciated the positive role the US played during the Pakistan-India war, and reiterated that Pakistan never asked for a ceasefire.
Regarding the Indian decision to suspend Indus Waters Treaty, he said India’s wish to manipulate water was unacceptable, as Pakistan’s National Security Committee also declared that any such action would be treated as an act of war, “and we mean it.”
Asked whether there was any backchannel open with India, Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan did not mind bilateral talks, but dialogues must be comprehensive, covering terrorism, trade, economy, and Jammu and Kashmir. “We’re not begging for dialogue. As a peace-loving country, we welcome it, but it takes two to tango. India must be willing.”
Coming to terrorism, he said that Pakistan had credible evidence that other countries’ agencies were involved in financing and funding terrorism. This evidence has been shared with international agencies and was on record, he added.
He said that the incumbent government and the security forces were fully focused on cleansing Pakistan of terrorism. When it comes to the lives of Pakistani soldiers or civilians, that’s our red line, and we’ll take any action to stop it, he resolved.
To a question, he said that the bilateral relations with Afghanistan had improved significantly and reiterated Pakistan’s call for action against terrorist elements like TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade.