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ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that the region&rsquo;s development challenges, including poverty, inequality and low intra-regional trade, necessitate a revival of regional platforms such as SAARC. &quot;Stronger regional cooperation is needed to address mounting security and climate challenges&quot;, addressing the Islamabad Conclave 2025, organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). South Asia must move towards dialogue and collective action to ensure long-term stability.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan believed regional peace was achievable only through engagement, confidence-building measures and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.&nbsp;Dar said global tensions, from Europe to the Middle East, had heightened uncertainty and placed multilateral institutions under stress. He said unilateral actions by some states had weakened global consensus. &ldquo;Multilateralism is under assault,&rdquo; he cautioned, urging countries to restore trust in diplomacy and international norms.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1996147922715734324&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=b138e5f2f4f9e81a3efd2a3c50b0a3b14f38c255&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Recalling the brief but serious military confrontation between Pakistan and India earlier this year, Dar said the incident underscored the urgency of reducing regional risks. He said the episode carried &ldquo;the potential to escalate far beyond its duration,&rdquo; and highlighted the need for crisis-management mechanisms and sustained communication.&nbsp;The foreign minister said South Asia&rsquo;s security environment remained sensitive due to the presence of three nuclear-armed neighbors, continued arms buildup and the introduction of advanced weapons systems. Long-standing disputes, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir issue, continued to pose challenges to peace, he added.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan remained committed to a cooperative regional framework that rejected bloc politics and zero-sum approaches. He said Pakistan&rsquo;s upcoming term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council would be used to advance dialogue, conflict prevention and equitable development.&nbsp;The foreign minister also highlighted the growing impact of climate change, noting that rising temperatures, floods, droughts and glacial melt were directly affecting South Asia&rsquo;s food and water security. He called for deeper regional investment in renewable energy, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan envisions a South Asia where connectivity replaces confrontation, and cooperation drives prosperity,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan stood ready to work with all regional partners to build a stable and secure future for the people of South Asia.

Security

Dar says Pakistan believes regional peace is achievable only through engagement, confidence-building and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

QUETTA: A Pakistani security raid on a terrorist hideout in southwestern Balochistan province this week left seven insurgents dead, the military said Friday. The raid on Wednesday in the remote Sherani district came just a day after a powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of Pakistan&#39;s paramilitary security forces in Quetta, the Balochistan capital, killed at least 10 people and wounded 30. The military said troops engaged in a shootout with the militants and later recovered weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the site. The statement said the killed men were from &ldquo;Fitna Al-Khawarij,&rdquo; a phrase the government uses for the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, and other fighter groups. The military claimed the slain militants had backing from India.&nbsp; Pakistani authorities have long accused New Delhi of supporting separatists in Balochistan as well as Pakistani Taliban fighters &mdash; allegations that India denies. For years, Balochistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by terrorists groups, along with attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, both proscribed organizations by the Pakistan government. Pakistan&#39;s security forces have also been carrying out intelligence-based operations in other flashpoint locations across the country, especially the northwest and elsewhere.&nbsp;On Thursday night, a roadside bomb struck a police vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar, wounding eight people, including four officers, police said. Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

Raid comes a day after a car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of paramilitary security forces in Quetta, killing at least 10 people, wounding 30.



Pakistani raid on a militant hideout in Balochistan killed 7 insurgents, military says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Mohammad Sadiq met on Monday his&nbsp;Iranian counterpart, Reza Bahrami, in Tehran, discussing regional security and terrorist threats while underscoring the need for a coordinated strategy.&nbsp;Pakistani envoy is on an official visit to Iran, where he will meet senior officials with a focus on security in Afghanistan and ways to expand ties between Islamabad and Tehran.&nbsp;During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on Afghanistan&rsquo;s humanitarian situation, as well as its political, economic, and trade future, Sadiq said in a post on social media platform X.&nbsp;&ldquo;We discussed regional security and terrorist threats, underscoring the need for a coordinated strategy,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;The meeting also included discussions on initiatives aimed at promoting peace, stability, and development in Afghanistan through joint efforts.&nbsp;Earlier last week, Sadiq met Denmark&rsquo;s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mette Knudsen, and Chief Advisor in the Humanitarian Department, Andreas Ahrenfeldt Kiaby, where they discussed regional developments with a focus on Afghanistan, including security dynamics, humanitarian assistance, and prospects for enhanced cooperation.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Special Envoy Mohammad Sadiq met Iran’s Reza Bahrami in Tehran, discussing regional security, terrorism threats, and Afghanistan’s humanitarian, political, and economic future, while stressing the need for a coordinated strategy and stronger bilateral cooperation.

Articles tagged with "regional security"

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

Pakistani raid on a militant hideout in Balochistan killed 7 insurgents, military says

Pakistan, Iran discuss regional security and expanding ties