Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that India\u2019s so-called \u201cnew normal\u201d narrative has been buried, and any future dialogue with New Delhi will only take place on the principle of equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Dar emphasized Pakistan\u2019s stance regarding Afghanistan, reiterating that Islamabad had only one demand from Kabul \u2014 to take decisive action against the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), either by handing over its members to Pakistan or by pushing them away from Pakistan\u2019s borders. He added that Pakistan would carefully review the protest note sent recently by the Afghan government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the subject of dialogue with India, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the idea of a \u201cnew normal,\u201d which India tried to impose after its unilateral steps in August 2019 regarding Jammu and Kashmir, is no longer acceptable. \u201cThat narrative has been buried. If negotiations are to happen with India, they will only happen on an equal footing,\u201d Dar maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further clarified that Pakistan was not desperate for dialogue, nor was it seeking external pressure to push New Delhi towards talks. \u201cIf India wants dialogue, that\u2019s fine, but if it doesn\u2019t, that is also not a problem for us. We are not asking anyone to force negotiations,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dar also hinted at expanding diplomatic outreach by making a reference to Pakistan-Armenia relations. He pointed out that since Azerbaijan and Armenia, long-time rivals, had now moved towards settling their disputes, there should be no obstacle for Pakistan in establishing ties with Armenia as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar\u2019s latest remarks mark an important rhetorical shift in Pakistan\u2019s foreign policy narrative. For decades, Pakistan\u2019s stance towards India has oscillated between seeking international mediation and insisting on bilateral engagement under the framework of the Simla Agreement. However, Dar\u2019s assertion that Pakistan neither seeks nor requires external compulsion for dialogue reflects growing confidence in Islamabad\u2019s diplomatic positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phrase \u201con the basis of equality\u201d is particularly significant. It signals Pakistan\u2019s rejection of any talks that would be framed around India\u2019s terms, especially after New Delhi\u2019s move to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. That decision, accompanied by heavy militarization of the region, was followed by India\u2019s consistent refusal to engage with Pakistan at the diplomatic level. By declaring India\u2019s \u201cnew normal\u201d narrative as \u201cburied,\u201d Dar has essentially reasserted that Pakistan will not normalize relations under the post-2019 status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kashmir remains the core dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India\u2019s attempt to change the demographic and political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir through constitutional amendments has been consistently opposed by Pakistan. In this context, Dar\u2019s words carry weight. They suggest that Pakistan will neither soften its position on Kashmir nor accept India\u2019s unilateral changes as a permanent reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By framing equality as the basis for talks, Pakistan is sending a clear message: no dialogue will proceed unless Kashmir remains part of the agenda. This sets the stage for potential diplomatic deadlocks, but also strengthens Pakistan\u2019s moral and political position in the eyes of its domestic audience and international observers who advocate for peaceful dispute resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dar also touched upon Afghanistan, another central component of Pakistan\u2019s foreign policy challenges. His remarks highlighted Pakistan\u2019s concerns regarding the TTP, which continues to launch cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. The Deputy Prime Minister underscored that Pakistan\u2019s demand from Afghanistan has been consistent and limited: action against the TTP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afghanistan\u2019s recent diplomatic protests against Pakistan, often expressed through formal notes, have been downplayed by Islamabad. Dar\u2019s calm acknowledgment that Pakistan will \u201creview the reasons\u201d behind Kabul\u2019s latest protest reflects a balancing act \u2014 avoiding escalation while reiterating Pakistan\u2019s security concerns. The subtext here is clear: Pakistan views Afghan reluctance to act against the TTP as a breach of trust, while still leaving the door open for dialogue with Kabul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most interesting part of Dar\u2019s remarks was his reference to relations with Armenia. Traditionally, Pakistan has avoided establishing formal ties with Armenia due to its strong alliance with Azerbaijan. But now, as Baku and Yerevan move towards peace after years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Islamabad appears to be reassessing its approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dar\u2019s statement signals that Pakistan is open to expanding its diplomatic horizons, even towards countries it once kept at arm\u2019s length. This is in line with Islamabad\u2019s broader strategy of diversifying its international partnerships, particularly at a time when South Asian geopolitics remain tense. Strengthening ties with Armenia could also indirectly give Pakistan more diplomatic leverage in its dealings with India, as Yerevan has traditionally enjoyed closer ties with New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Deputy Prime Minister\u2019s declaration that Pakistan is not pleading for talks with India is perhaps the strongest message to come out of Islamabad in recent months. It suggests that Pakistan feels less isolated diplomatically than in the past, thanks to its active role in forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and its warming ties with Gulf states, China, and even Central Asian republics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By making it clear that Pakistan is in no rush, Dar\u2019s comments are designed to project confidence. They also aim to counter the narrative often propagated by Indian media that Pakistan is desperate for talks. Instead, Islamabad is presenting itself as willing, but not needy. This stance allows Pakistan to protect its domestic credibility while also sending a signal to the international community that it is committed to peace \u2014 but not at the cost of dignity or equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ishaq Dar\u2019s remarks represent more than just a passing comment. They reflect a recalibration of Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic posture \u2014 one that is more assertive, less dependent on external mediation, and rooted in the principle of sovereign equality. Whether India will respond to this approach remains uncertain. However, what is clear is that Pakistan is determined to avoid being cornered into accepting a dialogue framework that undermines its position on Kashmir or other national security concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that India\u2019s so-called \u201cnew normal\u201d narrative has been buried, and any future dialogue with New Delhi will only take place on the principle of equality. While speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Dar emphasized Pakistan\u2019s stance regarding Afghanistan, reiterating that Islamabad had only one demand from Kabul \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12004"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12006,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12004\/revisions\/12006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}