Vows to safeguard Pakistan’s water rights under IWT, oppose attempts to weaponise water
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar addressing the Margalla Dialogue 2026 in Islamabad. Photo: X@PakTVGlobal
ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was a defensive arrangement directed against no country and aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.
Addressing the inaugural session of Margalla Dialogue 2026 in Islamabad, he said the agreement reflected Pakistan’s commitment to collective security and credible deterrence.
The agreement was “directed against no country” and “intended to contribute to regional peace and stability,” he added.
Turning to South Asia, the foreign minister said unresolved disputes, military asymmetries and unilateral actions continued to undermine strategic stability. He said these conditions required restraint and responsible statecraft, adding that strategic uncertainty should not become a justification for strategic adventurism.
“Pakistan’s decisive and calibrated response to India’s unprovoked aggression in May 2025 through Operation Bunyanun-Marsoos demonstrated a resolve and capability to defend our sovereignty,” Dar said.
Dar said, “I pay tribute to our armed forces for their professionalism and resolve in their defence of Pakistan. Our position is very clear,” adding further that “We will defend our sovereignty with determination and pursue peace with equal commitment.”
Speaking at the Margalla Dialogue 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan had delivered a decisive response to Indian aggression in May 2025. He emphasized that Afghan territory must not be used to facilitate terrorism against Pakistan, noting that terrorism… pic.twitter.com/rKxF5uyjBM
— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) November 10, 2026
The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistan’s position on the IWT. “Regional stability also depends on respect for treaty obligations. Pakistan will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights under the IWT and oppose any attempt to weaponise water,” he said.
“Where millions depend on the shared resource, honouring agreements is essential to both human security and confidence between the states,” the foreign minister said.
Dar said rivalry among major powers had reached its peak, while international institutions such as the United Nations were facing political divisions.
The foreign minister said the changing global order posed significant challenges for Pakistan, requiring “strength at home” and “effective diplomacy abroad” to safeguard national security and ensure prosperity.
Read: Turkish parliament approves Makkah defence pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
He said the shape of the emerging world order remained uncertain, but the choices countries made during the transition would determine whether it resulted in greater cooperation or deeper confrontation.
Dar identified three major developments that required particular attention, including mounting pressure on the international security architecture, growing links between geopolitics and economics, and rapid technological advances.
He said intensifying rivalries among major powers, prolonged conflicts and the erosion of arms control agreements were increasing the risks of confrontation and miscalculation.
The foreign minister stated that growing reliance on military instruments was narrowing the space for diplomacy at a time when diplomatic engagement needed to expand.
He said, “Multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations, were constrained by political divisions, while the selective application of international law further weakened confidence in institutions established to uphold international principles.”
Dar said the inconsistent application of agreed principles undermined their authority and made countries less secure.
Turning to economic challenges, he said: “Geopolitics, economics and finance were becoming increasingly interconnected, with trade, technology, energy and access to capital being shaped by strategic competition.”
He said instability in the “Gulf and the Red Sea demonstrated how quickly regional crises could disrupt trade and energy supplies and send shockwaves through the global economy”.
The foreign minister also highlighted the implications of rapid technological developments, saying “artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, biotechnology and space technologies were changing how states competed and how conflicts could unfold.”
He said these developments raised “difficult questions about accountability and the rules governing their use.”
Dar warned that security crises could quickly turn into “economic shocks, increasing food and fuel prices, threatening livelihoods and placing additional pressure on public services.”
He stressed that “policymakers needed to recognise how crises in one sector could spread into others.”
Discussing the emerging international system, Dar said a more representative multipolar order could provide a wider range of countries with a meaningful voice in international affairs.
However, he cautioned that a wider distribution of power would not automatically produce a fairer or more peaceful world.
He said, “Effective multilateralism, representative institutions and respect for agreed rules were essential to preventing multipolarity from becoming another source of rivalry and fragmentation.”
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to an equitable international order based on the United Nations Charter, sovereign equality, territorial integrity and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
FM Dar said the theme of this year’s Margalla Dialogue, “Changing Global Order — How to Navigate Strategic Uncertainty”, reflected the challenges facing Pakistan.
Referring to Palestine, the foreign minister said the notion that might was right was gaining ground as the use of force increasingly displaced respect for international law.
He said the suffering in Gaza, continued occupation and expansion of illegal settlements demonstrated the human cost of impunity.
Dar said Pakistan had used its 2025-26 membership of the United Nations Security Council to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He stated that during Pakistan’s presidency of the Security Council in July 2025, the council had unanimously adopted Pakistan-initiated Resolution 2788 on strengthening mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He added that the council had adopted another Pakistan-initiated presidential statement by consensus on November 5, reaffirming the importance of sustained diplomacy, mediation and dialogue even during active hostilities.
The foreign minister said the international community needed reliable mechanisms to prevent disputes from escalating and bring conflicts towards peaceful resolution during periods of strategic uncertainty.
Referring to Pakistan’s regional diplomacy, Dar said the country’s “facilitation of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad” in April 2026 reflected its commitment to peaceful dialogue.
He said the subsequent Islamabad memorandum of understanding, signed on June 18, provided an important foundation for further negotiations and diplomatic efforts.
Read more: Regional powers back Islamabad MoU
Dar said, “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Foreign Office had remained closely engaged in these efforts”.
He stated that their sustained engagement had played an important role in Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue and advance regional peace.
The foreign minister also referred to Pakistan’s diplomatic coordination with China.
He said, “Pakistan and China had jointly issued a five-point initiative in Beijing on March 31, 2026, aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East through dialogue and diplomacy”.
Dar said the initiative also called for the free movement of vessels through maritime routes without restrictions, permits or charges.
He stated that “he had remained actively engaged with regional partners, including Qatar and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, through the Regional Four (R4) framework.”
He said the “R4 had also held a joint meeting on October 23 with the European Four (E4), comprising the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy.”
Dar said, “Pakistan continued to pursue diplomatic engagement with regional partners and other parties to restore dialogue and facilitate a return to the negotiating table.”
He stressed that communication channels needed to remain open even during serious confrontations, warning that closing them would make future crises more difficult to manage and peace harder to achieve.
Addressing the situation in Afghanistan, Dar said terrorism emanating from Afghan territory remained a security challenge for Pakistan.
He stated that “Pakistan would continue protecting its people while supporting efforts towards a peaceful, stable and economically integrated Afghanistan..
The foreign minister said progress towards that objective required effective action to ensure Afghan territory was not used for terrorism against other countries, particularly Pakistan.
He added that “these challenges tested Pakistan’s ability to protect national security while maintaining prospects for a more stable neighbourhood.”
Turning to economic diplomacy, the foreign minister said Pakistan’s ability to navigate global uncertainty depended on the strength it developed domestically.
He stated that a resilient economy and technological capabilities provided the country with greater freedom to pursue its priorities and withstand external shocks.
Also read: Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos: Pakistan counters India’s Operation Sindoor
Dar said, “Economic diplomacy was central to his responsibilities as foreign minister.”
He stated that he was working with international partners to expand markets for Pakistani products, attract productive investment and strengthen technological cooperation.
The foreign minister said, “These efforts were intended to help Pakistani businesses grow, create employment opportunities and improve livelihoods.”
He added that opportunities secured abroad could produce lasting benefits when domestic institutions delivered, businesses had confidence to invest and people possessed the necessary skills.
Dar also called for greater international attention to the development needs of developing countries.
He said, “Domestic efforts needed to be supported by an international system that provided developing countries with fair opportunities for progress.”
The foreign minister stressed that the emerging global order must address the legitimate development needs of the Global South.
He said equitable access to finance, support for climate adaptation and access to emerging technologies would determine whether developing countries could participate fully in the next phase of global economic growth.
Dar warned that an “international order which left developing countries unable to create jobs, improve living standards and withstand crises would struggle to deliver lasting stability.”
Concluding his address, the foreign minister said the future international order would be shaped by the decisions countries made today.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan would make those decisions with a clear sense of responsibility towards safeguarding its sovereignty, advancing the well-being of its people and contributing to a more peaceful and equitable world.
Dar thanked the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) for organising Margalla Dialogue 2026 and wished participants productive deliberations during the two-day event.
