Economic power next goal after becoming ‘net security provider’: Dar

• DPM/FM Dar says Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts have transformed its global standing

• Says Pakistan helped facilitate first high-level US-Iran talks in over four decades as technical-level Washington-Tehran talks continue

• PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir and Foreign Office engaged in shuttle diplomacy

• Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, Türkiye and Egypt also played key roles

 ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that Pakistan’s role in helping defuse the recent US-Iran conflict had significantly enhanced the country’s international standing, asserting that Islamabad is now increasingly viewed as a “middle power and net security provider” and should now focus on achieving its next strategic objective of becoming an economic power.

Dar’s remarks came after Pakistan played a key role in facilitating diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran following the recent conflict, a process that culminated in the first high-level direct talks between the two sides in more than four decades in April and an agreement on a framework for future negotiations.

The conflict, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, sent shockwaves through global energy markets after Tehran closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass. The crisis also heightened fears of a broader regional confrontation as Iran retaliated against US military bases and other targets across the Gulf region.

Islamabad publicly condemned the initial attack on Iran, urged all parties to exercise restraint and subsequently helped facilitate a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The United States and Iran are currently engaged in technical-level talks in Switzerland, with Pakistani and Qatari officials continuing to facilitate the process as both sides seek to build on the framework agreement signed earlier this month.

“Pakistan was isolated for several years,” Dar said during a televised media interaction in Lahore. “Compare the number of countries that engaged with Pakistan two or three years ago with the situation today.”

“Pakistan’s image has improved considerably,” he added. “We are already a nuclear and missile power. Now our goal is to become an economic power.”

The deputy prime minister said Pakistan was now regarded internationally “as a peacemaker, a middle power and a net security provider,” attributing the shift to Islamabad’s sustained diplomatic engagement and constructive role in regional and international affairs.

Dar maintained that many of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts had deliberately remained out of the public spotlight, emphasizing that successful mediation requires maintaining the confidence and trust of all parties involved.

“We acted only as an honest facilitator,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir and the Foreign Office had undertaken extensive shuttle diplomacy and back-channel engagements throughout the process.

Dar said Pakistan also recognized the contributions of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye and Egypt, describing the diplomatic breakthrough as the result of a collective and coordinated international effort.