ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Monday that while Pakistan will not take any escalatory step amid rising tensions with India, it will respond strongly if provoked by New Delhi.
The statement comes in the wake of heightened bilateral tensions following an April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 tourists dead. India has blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers—an accusation Islamabad firmly denies. Since then, both sides have exchanged gunfire along the Line of Control (LoC), expelled each other’s nationals, and shut down border crossings.
“We will demonstrate patience, we will exercise full restraint, and we will not be the first one to make any escalatory move,” Dar told reporters in Islamabad during a joint press briefing with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“However, if India takes any adventure or escalatory move, then we will give a befitting reply,” he added, reaffirming Pakistan’s right to defend itself.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s offer for an independent international investigation into the Kashmir incident. “Our offer for a credible probe remains on the table,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, FM Araghchi said Iran is ready to mediate and use its “good offices” to help de-escalate the crisis. “We discussed Pakistan’s stance on the Pahalgam attack, and also regional developments including Iran-U.S. nuclear talks,” he said.
Global and regional powers have expressed growing concern over the recent flare-up. Calls for restraint and dialogue have intensified, given the historical volatility of Indo-Pak relations—especially concerning Kashmir, over which the two nations have fought multiple wars since 1947.
Pakistan’s government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has reportedly briefed international partners, assuring them that Islamabad will not be the first to act militarily.
