Pakistan to engage India only on equal terms, says deputy PM

Pakistan will not seek dialogue with India unless talks are held on equal footing, and any aggression from across the border will be met with a strong response, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Thursday at a press briefing.

He also issued a stern call for Afghanistan to take decisive measures against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), underscoring Islamabad’s uncompromising stance on security.

“We will not beg anyone to initiate talks to reduce tensions with India. Pakistan will talk on the basis of equality, and if any adventurism is attempted, it will be responded to forcefully,” Dar said.

On Afghanistan, he was equally direct: “Our only demand during negotiations with Afghanistan was that the TTP be dealt with, and that Afghan soil must not be used against us. Either relocate them to the north or hand them over to us.”

Key takeaways from Deputy PM’s briefing

• No talks with India without parity
• Afghanistan must act against TTP or hand them over
• Pakistan and China raise joint security concerns in Kabul
• PIA flights to the UK to resume in September
• Pakistan, Bangladesh agree on SAARC revival
• Pakistan reiterates rejection of “Greater Israel”
• CPEC Phase Two advancing, with ML-1 and Karakoram Highway prioritized
• Pakistan chaired the UN Security Council in July

Regional security and Afghanistan policy

Dar reviewed his August 20 visit to Kabul, where he attended a trilateral meeting with Afghan and Chinese officials. He confirmed that commitments made during his April visit were now being implemented.

“The Taliban government in Afghanistan neither resists nor refuses Pakistan’s demand for action against the TTP," he said, adding that Afghan officials claimed to have integrated hundreds of TTP sympathizers into their governance structures. Kabul also told Islamabad it had created 700 new posts along the border to curb cross-border movement, while expecting reciprocal action from Pakistan.

On reports of drone strikes inside Afghanistan, Dar said Pakistan had limited knowledge of the incident. “Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani ambassador yesterday and issued a demarche, which is a routine diplomatic procedure,” he noted.

Diplomatic engagements and international visits

Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s international outreach, noting his July 21-28 visit to the United States, during which Pakistan held the presidency of the UN Security Council. He addressed a controversy surrounding remarks at the Atlantic Council, saying his comments had been misinterpreted: “Those who do not understand English should try to understand, as everything there was said in English.”

In the United Kingdom, Dar met the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and members of the Kashmiri diaspora. He inaugurated the Punjab Land Digitization initiative at the Pakistan High Commission, announced a one-window passport service, and confirmed that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the UK will resume in September, starting with Manchester.

China, India and CPEC

Turning to regional diplomacy, Dar said the Chinese Foreign Minister’s recent visit to India focused on border issues, while his visit to Pakistan centered on advancing CPEC’s second phase.

“Discussions focused on the ML-1 railway project and the Karakoram Highway,” Dar confirmed, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to deepening economic and connectivity cooperation with China.

He also described Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent trip to Pakistan as “extremely successful and remarkable,” highlighting renewed trust and solidarity between the neighbors. “The Iranian President said that now we know who our real friend is,” Dar quoted.

SAARC and Palestine stance

On regional cooperation, Dar announced that Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has been largely inactive in recent years.

On the Middle East, he reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing support for Palestine, rejecting the notion of a “Greater Israel” and stressing Pakistan’s continued backing of Palestinian rights.