'It takes two to tango', says Pakistan's Foreign Minister on relations with India

Islamabad: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has emphasised that normalising relations with India requires mutual willingness.

Speaking with journalists at the Foreign Office on Thursday, Dar highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts since the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government took office last year.

When asked about Pakistan's relations with India, he stressed on the importance of mutual effort, and said, “It takes two to tango.”

Dar also announced plans to visit Bangladesh next month and noted that Islamabad and Dhaka are rebuilding ties after the fall of the Hasina government in August last year.

“Bangladesh is like a lost brother. We aim to strengthen economic and trade cooperation,” he said and mentioned that he received an invitation from Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhamad Yunus during a meeting in Cairo recently.

Yunus took charge as Chief Adviser after the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power on August 5 last year following a students'-led protest.

Earlier, Dar rejected claims of the country’s isolation as he said, “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.”

Commenting on Afghanistan, Dar expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen ties with Kabul but admitted that terrorism remained a major challenge.

He revealed that planned visits to Kabul were postponed due to terrorist attacks and also criticised former intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed for engaging in talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan has been facing a spike in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban came to power in 2021 and has demanded the Kabul regime to control the terrorists using its soil against Pakistan.

Dar also shared that former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood has been appointed Secretary General of the D-8 Developing Eight Forum, based in Istanbul. Mahmood will serve a four-year term starting January 1, 2026.

Dar highlighted progress in Pakistan’s nuclear energy sector, announcing the launch of the Chashma 5 (C-5) nuclear power project, finalised with China in 2023 after completing the K2 and K3 projects.

Outgoing Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch dismissed rumors about military use of Gwadar port. “Gwadar port is for Pakistan’s development, built with the support of China,” she stated during her final briefing.