There has been a steep rise in terrorist attack in Pakistan.
New Delhi: India has hit back strongly at Pakistan over its foreign minister Ishaq Dar’s statement on normalising bilateral ties with India. Ishaq Dar, while addressing the media on Thursday, January 2, said, “It takes two to tango,” indicating that diplomatic progress requires effort from both sides.
To this, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, January 3, “The relevant ‘T’ word there is ‘terrorism’ and not ‘tango’”.
Bangladesh a lost brother
The Pakistan foreign minister underlined his country’s foreign policy under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, which assumed power in March 2024. He said that he would be visiting Bangladesh next month in efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“Bangladesh is like a lost brother. We aim to strengthen economic and trade cooperation,” he said, adding that he was invited by Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhamad Yunus during a meeting in Cairo recently.
“When we assumed office, there was a perception of diplomatic isolation. However, by expanding our diplomatic reach and engaging with regional neighbours, this perception has changed,” Dar stated.
On Afghanistan issue
Dar said that Pakistan is very keen on strengthening relations with Afghanistan while acknowledging that terrorism remains a significant challenge. He criticised former intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed for engaging in talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and noted that recent visits to Kabul were postponed due to ongoing terrorist attacks.
There has been a steep rise in terrorist attack in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban came to power in 2021. Islamabad has urged Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to target Pakistan.
Pakistan’s nuclear programme
Providing updates on Pakistan’s nuclear energy programme, foreign minister Dar announced unveiling of the Chashma 5 (C-5) nuclear power project with finalisation in 2023. It is after the completion of the K2 and K3 nuclear projects.
