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ISLAMABAD, Nov 04 (APP): Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to fight terrorism “to the last breath”.
Speaking in the Senate, leader of the House said recent dialogues — including rounds of talks held in Türkiye and Qatar — focused on engaging Afghanistan to prevent cross-border militancy. “We demanded that no terrorists’ activities be launched from their soil,” he said, adding that he had raised the issue directly with the Afghan official during telephonic conversation.
Dar said Pakistan has repeatedly presented evidence of militant groups operating from Afghanistan and carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. “We have produced proof on multiple occasions,” he said, stressing that the government would continue its efforts until the threat is completely eradicated.
He expressed optimism that further engagement with Afghanistan in the coming days would yield positive results.
The minister also briefed the House about Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, saying that he had received a call from the United States informing him that India was ready for a ceasefire. “We did not make any such request for a ceasefire,” he clarified.
The Deputy Prime Minister recalled Pakistan’s earlier counterterrorism successes, noting that the country had faced severe challenges in 2012 and 2013 but overcame them through military operations.
“Those operations, launched under the leadership of then Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, restored normalcy across the country — especially in Karachi, where the city’s lights returned after years of fear and darkness,” he said.
Dar said that as Finance Minister at the time, he had assured the National Security Committee that funds for the counterterrorism drive would be made available, even if it meant reducing development spending. “Peace was our top priority,” he recalled.
He urged both the government and opposition to avoid blame games and instead focus on learning from past experiences to strengthen internal security. “The sacrifices of our people and security forces must not go in vain. We must act wisely to ensure Pakistan never returns to those dark times,” he added.
Highlighting Pakistan’s efforts for regional connectivity, Dar said the Trans-Afghan Railway Project — aimed at linking Central Asia with Pakistan’s seaports — had entered its implementation phase, with a framework agreement already signed among the participating countries.
He said that during his previous tenure as Finance Minister, Pakistan, in collaboration with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, developed a comprehensive plan for connecting Pakistan to Uzbekistan and beyond, linking Central Asian states with China, Russia, and Europe through a unified network. “Pakistan holds immense potential to become a major trade and transit hub once this link is completed,” he added.
Dar said that under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government — in which the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was a coalition partner — significant progress on the project had been achieved within just two months. “We worked closely with the Ministry of Railways to finalize the plan and begin its implementation,” he added.