“Pakistan Open to Dialogue, Awaits India’s Reply”: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated that Islamabad is prepared to engage in talks with India across multiple sectors—ranging from trade to counter-terrorism—as he emphasized the need for “substantive dialogue.”
Describing the offer as a gesture of goodwill, Dar stated that the next step lies with New Delhi. “Pakistan remains open to working together with India across all areas—from commerce to joint efforts against terrorism,” he said while speaking at a session hosted by the Atlantic Council, a prominent US-based think tank.
Dar underscored the necessity of restarting composite dialogue, a previously used mechanism between the two neighbours that covered issues such as Kashmir, security, cultural exchange, and economic cooperation.
His remarks come shortly after India conducted Operation Sindoor, in which nine terrorist facilities inside Pakistan were struck following the Pahalgam massacre, where 26 civilians, including tourists, were killed in a brutal attack at Baisaran Valley.
Referring to the recent tensions between the two countries, Dar—who also held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on subjects such as bilateral relations, regional security, trade, global peace, and anti-terrorism efforts—acknowledged what he called the key role played by US President Donald Trump and Secretary Rubio in helping prevent an escalation by facilitating a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
India, however, has repeatedly stressed that the ceasefire agreement was a decision solely between Indian and Pakistani military officials, with no involvement from external actors.
On the subject of terrorism, Dar also appeared to soften his stance regarding the United States’ designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity.
Speaking at another event in Washington, DC on Friday, he said Pakistan has “no objection” to the US’s decision. Still, he insisted that associating TRF with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is “incorrect.”
TRF, which both the US and India identify as a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
