Strong ties with the United States will not mean unconditional support for its policies, especially when they are unjust, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday.
Briefing the press in Islamabad, the deputy PM emphasised that Pakistan was aware that Iran would not remain passive after the US bombed three of its nuclear facilities.
Dar was speaking in reference to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, where the 12-day Iran-Israel war was a primary topic of discussion.
He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to ensure that a special session on Iran was held, which was agreed upon by the foreign ministers of OIC member states.
Dar also noted that Pakistan had been in constant communication with Iranian officials, including discussions between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Iranian leadership.
During the briefing, Dar explained that Iran had praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in both the United Nations Security Council and their parliament.
He shared details of an important meeting in Istanbul, which took place during a visit by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, which was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and other Turkish leaders to address the situation in Iran.
Dar said that after the US attack on Iran, Pakistan had been informed by Tehran that while Iran was not developing nuclear weapons, it could not ignore the US attack and would retaliate. Iran’s response entailed an attack on a US airbase in Qatar.
Dar made it clear that while Pakistan values its relationship with the US, this does not mean aligning with Washington on every issue, especially when it comes to unjust military actions.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful resolution and its efforts to ensure the ceasefire holds.
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