Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday described his three-day visit to China as “highly successful,” adding Pakistan achieved significant progress on diplomatic, strategic and economic fronts during his engagements in Beijing.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said the visit had comprised bilateral meetings with the Chinese leadership and trilateral talks involving Afghanistan. During the talks, he said, a clear agreement was reached with both China and Afghanistan affirming that no terrorist organization would be allowed to use any country’s soil against another.
Referring to the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said the visit had successfully laid the groundwork for expanded cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative. He also confirmed that China had expressed intent to finance the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway project, calling it a transformative step for regional connectivity. “We have already sent a draft framework to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan,” he said, adding he aimed to finalize it by early June.
“This project, along with the Peshawar-Kabul Highway and ML-1 upgrades, will massively boost Pakistan’s connectivity to the Central Asian Republics and enhance the commercial potential of our under-utilized ports,” he said.
On talks about security cooperation, the minister said China had deep concerns over attacks against their people in Pakistan. “I assured them that we are addressing these threats seriously. We discussed a permanent mechanism to prevent cross-border terrorism. I commend both China and Afghanistan for aligning with our zero-tolerance stance,” he added.
He recalled that the PMLN government of 2013-17 had spent over $4 billion on Operation Zarbe Azb, effectively eliminating terrorism. “Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated due to the previous regime’s careless border policies and the release of hardcore terrorists. Now, our resolve is clear: we will crush terrorism with an iron hand as we did before,” he said.
Dar emphasized that the Chinese leadership supported Pakistan on all core issues. “They reiterated their support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity and backed Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, calling for a resolution in line with the U.N. Security Council resolutions. We reaffirmed our support for the One China Policy including Tibet,” he said.
On the regional security situation following Indian military aggression, the minister said Pakistan had successfully countered the Indian narrative. “We offered an international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, which India declined. Our transparency strengthened Pakistan’s credibility, and several international actors endorsed our position after verifying the facts,” he said.
Confirming that the U.S. brokered the ceasefire agreement, he said military-to-military engagements via DGMOs were progressing smoothly. “Our deterrence is defensive, not aggressive. We have never built our nukes and missiles to attack others, but to safeguard peace,” he said, describing recent remarks by the Indian defense minister as “regrettable.”
Pak-Afghan Ties
The foreign minister also highlighted the government’s commitment to improving ties with Afghanistan. “We have religious, cultural, historical, and geographical ties with Afghanistan,” he said, emphasizing that the country cannot change its neighbors. “Our outreach was welcomed across Afghan society. We need to progress beyond the charge d’affaires level and engage substantively,” he added.
He linked the upgrade of ties between Islamabad and Kabul to the interim Afghan government ensuring terrorist groups do not use its soil. “We made it clear that the Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” he said, adding any potential upgrade would follow due diligence and consultations with all stakeholders.
Dar announced an extension of the transit document regime for Afghan drivers and vehicles until June 30 and introduced a single document regime of a $100 multiple-entry visa for Afghan citizens. “These initiatives were deeply appreciated by Afghan officials,” he said.
The minister also congratulated Field Marshal Asim Munir on his promotion, calling it a “well-deserved recognition” for his extraordinary leadership and cooperation during national security engagements. He informed media that during the Pak-Indo ties, he had spoken with his counterparts over 60 times, including deputy prime ministers and leaders from countries like Qatar, to present Pakistan’s perspective. “The world now understands our position. Pakistan is not just a frontline state against terrorism but also one of its greatest victims—with over 85,000 lives lost and $150 billion in economic losses,” he added.