ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said Pakistan was now being recognised as a “peacemaker” on the global stage due to its role in facilitating negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Dar said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts had enhanced its international profile and earned it recognition as a country contributing to peace and dialogue. He noted that Pakistan’s involvement in the US-Iran negotiations had strengthened its standing in the international community.
“Pakistan, which was once said to have become diplomatically isolated, is now being discussed across the entire world,” Dar said. He added that even countries that previously had little awareness of Pakistan were now familiar with the country and its diplomatic role.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was increasingly being viewed as a “middle power” capable of playing an active role in international affairs. He stressed, however, that the country’s next objective should be to achieve economic strength.
“We now have to become an economic power. For this, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is working day and night,” he said.
Reflecting on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s previous tenure, Dar said the country had recorded significant economic progress between 2013 and 2017. According to him, key macroeconomic indicators improved during that period, while Pakistan’s economic performance drew praise from international observers, including European countries.
“This was the same country which, from 2013 to 2017, had its voice heard across the world. All macroeconomic indicators had improved. The growth trajectory was such that even Europe used to appreciate it. Foreign investment had reached its peak,” he said.
Dar further claimed that Pakistan had risen to become the world’s 24th-largest economy during that period before slipping to 47th place over the following four years. He said the government was now working to reverse that decline and restore economic growth.
“Pakistan is now moving towards growth, development and public welfare,” he said.
Commenting on the federal budget, Dar said the current government had inherited a difficult economic situation when it assumed office. He described the economy as being in a state of crisis and said repairing the damage required time and sustained effort.
“As you have seen in this budget, we were virtually in a state of economic crisis. What we inherited under PM Shehbaz’s leadership was damaged, and when something is damaged, it takes time to be repaired,” he said.
Dar added that the economic setbacks accumulated over the previous four years could not be resolved overnight. However, he maintained that corrective measures taken by the government were beginning to yield positive results.
“That four-year gap caused destruction, and it naturally takes time to fix. But matters are now moving in a positive direction,” he said.