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00:00:15have the honor of inviting the chief guest, honorable Senator
00:00:19in Mohammad Isaakdar, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan
00:00:22to address the
00:00:23gathering.
00:00:40a
00:00:46of
00:01:13a great pleasure to join you this morning at this
00:01:17seminar organized by the institute of
00:01:21strategic studies Islamabad to discuss
00:01:24an issue of paramound
00:01:27importance to Pakistan. the region and the
00:01:31wider
00:01:47terrorism is not merely a policy
00:01:50debate. it is
00:01:53continuing story story of sacrifice and
00:01:57valor for over two decades. Pakistan
00:02:00has stood on
00:02:02of the front line of this
00:02:05fight, our people have
00:02:08suffered its consequences, and our
00:02:12armed forces, police and intelligence
00:02:15services have confronted
00:02:18its with extraordinary
00:02:22courage. Ladies and
00:02:25of gentlemen, more than as my colleague Mr.
00:02:29That said, more than 90 thousand people lost
00:02:32their lives, our economy has suffered
00:02:36losses exceeding 150 billion US dollars.
00:02:40mind you, pakistan total external debt is 130 billion
00:02:44me dollars. the cost does not end here,
00:02:48terrorism had tarnished Pakistan's image internationally and
00:02:52effected confidence in our
00:02:54of country.
00:02:55of the damage to our reputation and the opportunity lost during
00:02:59that time,
00:03:00of was incalculable. Pakistan
00:03:04has born a dual burden,
00:03:08fighting terrorism, not
00:03:11countering the
00:03:13of misperception that have too often obscured or
00:03:22a the children
00:03:24of the army public school in Pishar, we
00:03:28remember
00:03:28of the bombing of M markets and bus
00:03:32stops, the passengers taken
00:03:36hostage a train and the laborers killed
00:03:39for no reason other than where they come
00:03:42from. these are not just
00:03:46statistics, this is the price pakistan
00:03:49nation has paid and continue
00:03:54of paying. the present government has made the fight against terrorism a
00:03:58national priority. Under the leadership of Prime Minister
00:04:02a Mohammad Shahbas
00:04:03of Sharif we have renewed the National
00:04:06Counter terrorism effort and placed greater
00:04:09emphasis on the implementation
00:04:12of the National Action Plan. The Federal Apex
00:04:16Committee has brought together the civilian and military
00:04:20leadership to review the threat and
00:04:23agree on the measures required to
00:04:26confronted. The Prime Minister.
00:04:30approved azme istehkam with the
00:04:33consensus
00:04:34of the provinces and other
00:04:37stakeholders. It brings together
00:04:41of military, intelligence, law enforcing
00:04:45agencies and diplomatic efforts supported by
00:04:49a legal and socio economic
00:04:51measures. The aim is to act against
00:04:54terrorists and the network that
00:04:57of sustain them while addressing. the conditions that
00:05:01allow extremism to take
00:05:09on measures to strengthen intelligence coordinate. nation
00:05:13and the role the national counter terrorism
00:05:15authority. these efforts require
00:05:19close cooperation between the federation and the
00:05:22provinces. every institution has
00:05:25responsibility and the national effort must
00:05:29continue with unity and resolve. i
00:05:33commend prime minister mohammed shabad for his
00:05:36determined leadership and sustained attention to this
00:05:40fight.
00:05:42I also play pay tribute to chief of army staff and chief of
00:05:46defense forces, field marshal sayir for his leadership
00:05:50and firm resolve to to defeat
00:05:53terrorism. Under his command or armed
00:05:56forces in close coordination with law
00:05:59enforcement agencies, continue operations against
00:06:03terrorism and their facilitators. They
00:06:07confront this danger daily, often
00:06:11at the cost of their own
00:06:19transit trade upgraded our economic
00:06:22representation to ambassadorrial
00:06:25level, signed the framework agreement for the
00:06:29feasibility study of Uzbekistan,
00:06:32pakistan railway to
00:06:36Afghanistan and established a
00:06:39mechanism for consultation between our foreign
00:06:42ministries our foremost priority was to urge the
00:06:46afan authorities to take concrete and verificable
00:06:50actions against terrorist groups operating for Afghan
00:06:53soil and to prevent the use of Afghan
00:06:57territory for terrorism against any country,
00:07:00particularly Pakistan. May refer
00:07:04to my own personal visits to
00:07:07Kabul in 2025 last year, three
00:07:10visits after four.
00:07:12is your stailmate, I visited them 19th of
00:07:15April, I held detailed parler, I spent a
00:07:19day with prime
00:07:21minister, with deputy prime minister hanvi saab
00:07:25and foreign minister of Afghanistan
00:07:29Muttaqisa, followed by
00:07:32that, I visited again in
00:07:35July with Uzbek foreign minister and we have been
00:07:39pursuing since 2022, 23. railway
00:07:42connectivity between Pakistan through Uzbekistan to the central
00:07:46Asian states via
00:07:53indeed a great a break through after April let
00:07:57but tell you if you
00:07:59recall my paris with them on
00:08:0219th of April 2025 they had huge
00:08:06wish list or demands I would say relating to trade
00:08:10economy.
00:08:13refugees, political matters and whatever he
00:08:17agreed, I held a
00:08:19press conference live telecast
00:08:23in Pakistan and Afghanistan to make sure that the
00:08:26teams in Pakistan do deliver what I have promised
00:08:30there, what is Pakistan ask, only one,
00:08:34please do not allow your soil to be used
00:08:37against any country particularly Pakistan for
00:08:41terrorism.
00:08:51the diplomatic relationship to ambassadory
00:08:53level, and then
00:08:57I and foren minister of China, Mr. Wangi visited
00:09:01Kabul to hold a
00:09:04tri trilateral dialogue in August 2025.
00:09:07These was the sincer efforts on behalf of
00:09:11Pakistan.
00:09:16but the one ask we are not seeing any result unfortunately
00:09:20so far. we did all this because
00:09:24we believe in the Afghan people's future and we
00:09:28want a stable prosperous Afghanistan. the
00:09:32expectation has been and continue to be the fan
00:09:35Taliban authority must honor their counter terrorism
00:09:39commitments and ensure that fan soil is not
00:09:42used particularly against Pakistan.
00:09:46Sadly, as I said, we can no longer ignore the continuing
00:09:50terrorist threats eminating from Afghanistan. United
00:09:54Nations monitory team and the report which
00:09:58information just referred to, have documented the
00:10:01presence of TTP in Afghanistan and its close links with
00:10:05Alqida. This concern is not Pakistan's
00:10:09alone. It is consequence. is for the
00:10:13security the wider region, as
00:10:17information minister said, just imagine if
00:10:20Pakistan was not fighting this war is a frontline
00:10:24fighter, This terrorism God knows would have
00:10:28spread by now which parts the
00:10:30globe. A concern is
00:10:33concrete. Attacks inside Pakistan are
00:10:36planned, directed and launched from across the
00:10:40border. Test
00:10:44inf infiltrate to different mountaineous
00:10:48trains, striker soldiers and civilians
00:10:51and retreat to their centuries.
00:10:55Pakistan is invested heavily in border
00:10:58fencing and management and considerable
00:11:02financial human cost, but no offense can
00:11:05substitute for real action against these
00:11:15directly, patiently and
00:11:17repeatedly. We have shared
00:11:20specific information, what we have
00:11:23asked. is concrete action
00:11:27against these terrorists and the centuries
00:11:31who attack Pakistan from Afghan
00:11:34territory. Despite all these sufferings,
00:11:38let me also share with you. Pakistan is generous and
00:11:41magnanimous. The UN
00:11:45reach to foreign Office of Pakistan and ask
00:11:48for permission. You know that last October
00:11:522025, the way in one. day
00:11:56unbelievable number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and in Bologistan
00:12:00particularly are also obviously led
00:12:03to the closure of borders of both
00:12:05sides
00:12:08and what did we do despite all
00:12:11that we allowed permission
00:12:15for the passage of humanitarian
00:12:18aid 1000
00:12:21containers which took almost a month to
00:12:25pass through the borders, so you can see the
00:12:28Pakistan's approach based
00:12:32on you, our real
00:12:35will to see you Afghanistan develop,
00:12:39prosper. I remember as finance minister of Pakistan, I've
00:12:43been fighting with World Bank and IMF in
00:12:462010s for the approval the
00:12:50Kasa 1000 project which was
00:12:53Tajikstan. Afghanistan Pakistan which was
00:12:57suspended by the world bank and IMF
00:13:00after the
00:13:03afaan
00:13:06inter regime and we have again made some efforts, it's been revived, so you
00:13:10can see the sincerity of Pakistan in the
00:13:13entire in the entire
00:13:20one the gravest threats to Pakistan's security,
00:13:24it has been... responsible was some the worst task attacks
00:13:27in our history, including attacks on
00:13:30schools, mosks, markets and security
00:13:34installations. his victims include innocent
00:13:37civilians and the men and women who protect
00:13:41it. the BLA 2
00:13:44continues to target civilians and security personnel while
00:13:48seeking to undermine Pakistan's economic development.
00:13:51st activities include the hijacking, the
00:13:55Jaafar Express in March
00:13:572025, when over
00:14:01400 passengers were taken hostage,
00:14:05attacks on passengers, buses and the targeted killings of
00:14:09civilians in Bologistan as well as the salts on security
00:14:13installations and infrastructure critical to Pakistan's
00:14:16economic
00:14:25with draw on external support and benefit from networks that
00:14:29provide fighters, funds, weapons and
00:14:32training. pakistan is repeatedly called for
00:14:36action against the support and the senturies that enable
00:14:40their attacks. a group that finds
00:14:44safe heaven today to attack Pakistan can use the same safe
00:14:47heaven tomorrow to threat threaten
00:14:50others. terrorism has never respected
00:14:53frontiers. ignoring the TTP and his
00:14:57parents will not make this threat go away, it will only
00:15:01give them time to grow. Let me share with
00:15:05you, when I went in July 2025
00:15:09and called called on prime minister Akunt, he
00:15:13was very thankful. He said, first
00:15:16time the promises made to Afghanistan have
00:15:19been actually delivered within eight weeks
00:15:22and "We think we can do
00:15:26business with you, and
00:15:29I very politely reminded prime
00:15:33minister that if you do not take.
00:15:37appropriate actions against the terrorist groups in
00:15:41Afghanistan, the day will come, if your government is
00:15:45there, they will haunt you as well, and you will be facing
00:15:48threats from the same terrorist in
00:15:57they need money, weapons and political
00:16:01cover. Pakistan has consistently shared its serious
00:16:04concern with the international community. about Indian
00:16:08patternage of terrorist organizations operating
00:16:11against Pakistan, including from Afghan
00:16:14soil. We have also shared dosiers
00:16:18with the United Nations and our international partners
00:16:22documenting Indian patnage to test
00:16:25organization working against Pakistan from
00:16:29Afghan soil including TTP and proxies to
00:16:33destabilize
00:16:34Pakistan. From the
00:16:37serving Indian naval commander, I'm sure you
00:16:41would recall Kulboshan Jadev who
00:16:45confest his involvement in terrorist activities
00:16:48against Pakistan to its heinous record of extra
00:16:52territorial assassinations including in North
00:16:55America. Indian state sp sponsorship
00:16:59of terrorism all has been well
00:17:03documented. We raised
00:17:06the we raised this because a principle is at
00:17:08stake when a state uses terrorist
00:17:12groups as instruments of policy against a
00:17:16neighbor, it puts the peace the wider
00:17:19region at complete risk. it undermines
00:17:23international law and relations between the
00:17:26states. such support must be
00:17:29confronted without political considerations or double
00:17:33standards. again, refer to:
00:17:38Mr. Atatar the developments in the last
00:17:4124 hours in Pakistan, it's not a political
00:17:44move,
00:17:46it is surely against the manners of terrorism
00:17:50which that province has been hit with in the last
00:17:53decade and a half, can we keep sleeping
00:17:57and looking towards another because it's a looking that is may
00:18:01be deemed to be a political move, no it's not,
00:18:05I can, I can guarantee you. I
00:18:09negotiate in 20 2014 with the same political party when the
00:18:12126 days of dharna in Islamabad,
00:18:16so this government does not believe, but when it
00:18:20comes to the safety and security of
00:18:23our nationals our citizens,
00:18:27wherever they live, any part of Pakistan, I think it's the duty the
00:18:31federal government that once it is totally
00:18:35determined that there is no solution other than what we
00:18:39have done yesterday, we should have done it, we have paid a
00:18:43very heavy political cost when the last
00:18:46time country was right at the at the verge of
00:18:50default and we have to take very difficult
00:18:53structural measures which was very painful,
00:18:57political cost was paid, unpopularity was
00:19:00there and we recovered a lot because we have
00:19:04saved the country from the you know at
00:19:07the blink of default, the dates were given to Pakistan
00:19:11time and again and we always used to say
00:19:15bravely that come what may Pakistan will not default, I hope you remember my
00:19:19statements of Finance of Pakistan in 2022,
00:19:2123, so you see the
00:19:25life has to go in accordance with
00:19:29peace which
00:19:30you see in other parts the world, so so
00:19:34whether whatever cost a government has to pay, to
00:19:38save the economy, to save the property and lives the people, I think
00:19:42it is never too much, and I think you know the
00:19:46government had no choice but to take the measures we took
00:19:49yesterday and inshallah will implement in totality, you will find the
00:19:53difference in weeks to come and months to come, and I'm
00:19:56sure the province will will will be quite happy
00:20:00to to see the peace back, their lives and and properties
00:20:04save and know radical. ation
00:20:13strengthen multi multilateral cooperation against
00:20:16terrorism. as an elected member the united nations security
00:20:20council for the years 2025,
00:20:232026, we are bringing a experience
00:20:26and concerns to the security council work.
00:20:30during our current term pakistan has taken on the chairmanship
00:20:34the 1988 talvan sanctions committee. and
00:20:37served as vice chair the counter
00:20:41terrorism committee as well. These
00:20:44responsibility give us an important role in
00:20:48advancing internet. national cooperation and the
00:20:51implementation of relevant security council
00:20:54resolutions. Pakistan also
00:20:57chaired the Shengai Cooperation Organization's
00:21:00regional anti-terrorist structure known as rat during
00:21:042025-26. We have used this forum to
00:21:08advance regional cooperation against terrorism. Our
00:21:12bilateral counter terrorism dialogue including
00:21:14with the United States are another part of
00:21:18this effort. We working with our partners to address
00:21:22common threads and strengthen practical
00:21:28the international community has responsibility to support
00:21:32this fight. pakistan sacrifices reserve
00:21:35recognition, but recognition alone is not
00:21:39enough. we need timely intelligence
00:21:42sharing, access to technology and support for further
00:21:46capacity building of our law enforcement agencies.
00:21:51We also need effective international actions against terrorist
00:21:53financing, the supply of weapons and the provision of
00:21:57safe heavens. States must
00:22:00ensure that their territory is not used for
00:22:04terrorism against any other country. Our
00:22:07partners must also impress upon the for authorities the need
00:22:11to fulfill their commitments. A
00:22:14threat that endages the region and the world
00:22:18cannot leave Pakistan. to confront
00:22:28we must look at what is coming,
00:22:32terrorists are adapting, they recruit and
00:22:35radicalize through social media and encrypted
00:22:39platforms, they raise funds through
00:22:43cryptocurrencies and other digital channels that
00:22:47avait traditional controls young people are
00:22:51increasingly exposed to their propaganda
00:22:54online. They are experimenting with
00:22:58drones and exploiting artificial intelligence to spread
00:23:01propaganda. Loan actors radicalized
00:23:05online can strike without
00:23:08warning. Modern weaponry is also finding
00:23:11its its way into the hands of terrorist
00:23:15groups, making the task of our security forces
00:23:19even more. difficult, no state or
00:23:23society can combat these challenges alone,
00:23:27we need to share technology, intelligence
00:23:30and experience, above all we need strong political resolve
00:23:34to act against terrorism in all its performs and
00:23:38manifestations with
00:23:40distinction, without distinction
00:23:49who killed their children and pisar claim to act in name of
00:23:52Islam, they did
00:23:55not. Islam teaches and all the holy Quran says very
00:23:59categorically that killing of human being tentamont to
00:24:03killing the entire humanity. It doesn't
00:24:06classify who is human being, a Muslim, a
00:24:10Hindu, sikh, a Christian, no,
00:24:14a Jew is a killing of human me tenter
00:24:17mount to killing the entire humanity.
00:24:21so using the name of Islam obviously is
00:24:24totally un is not true.
00:24:28They are criminals, they speak for no faith or
00:24:32religion and have no
00:24:38never be equated with any religion,
00:24:41nationality, civilization or ethnicity.
00:24:44Islamophobia divides communities and gives terrorists
00:24:48the propaganda they. they seek,
00:24:52response must remain firm against
00:24:55terrorism and and clear on this
00:24:58principle. let me also emphasize that
00:25:02counter terrorism must not be used as a pretext to
00:25:06suppress the legitimate struggle of people for self
00:25:09determination and signed in the charter of your
00:25:13nation and the relevant security council resolutions. i'm
00:25:17referring to obviously palestine. Jammu and
00:25:20Kashmir and any situation we
00:25:24recently saw what happened between Thailand and Cambodia,
00:25:28it is Pakistan when it has presidency last year,
00:25:31we put theme we ministerial theme we picked
00:25:35up, multilateralism, peaceful settlement of disputes
00:25:39and after 12
00:25:42years resolution 2788 was
00:25:46passed unanimous unanimously in this next. UN
00:25:50security council when I was presiding the UN security council the
00:25:54meeting, it was first time in 12 years, there
00:25:58had been some resolution passed with majority or or
00:26:02or... you know obviously rejected or we
00:26:05told, but it was the first resolution passed with
00:26:08unanimity of all members, 15 members
00:26:12the UN security council and and the theme was
00:26:16multilateralism, peaceful settlement of
00:26:20disputes and within days, i think hardly
00:26:23two weeks when the Thailand and Cambodia
00:26:26issue was there conflict, the exerps
00:26:30from this resolution were quoted.
00:26:33in the in the discussions and debate in the UN
00:26:45used to call Pakistan probably
00:26:48because the terrorism we have been actually
00:26:51fighting a terrorist or some other
00:26:55state, now they are very happy to call Pakistan
00:26:59a peace maker state after what we have done in the last few
00:27:03years, it is nowhere other than in Norway
00:27:07forum that by one
00:27:10the P5 countries and boy
00:27:14said Pakistan has become net security provider to this
00:27:17region, our efforts are on
00:27:20record, we did everything possible for
00:27:23US Iran mediation, first time after 47
00:27:27years we brought them, brought them for direct talks on the same
00:27:31table. They shook hand, they said together, obviously on the
00:27:35condition Pakistan must be present, we were present,
00:27:38but it's most unfortunate, the 18th of June
00:27:42agreement was there, but
00:27:43it is most unfortunate that they were violation from both
00:27:46sides, have you given up, no, as as late
00:27:50as just days before in the high week of
00:27:54un general assembly on the sidelines of New York, we were making
00:27:58all all possible efforts, the hormosses
00:28:03been complicated by
00:28:05Babul and all these
00:28:09are similar sort of different definitions of
00:28:12terrorism, so you know that
00:28:16Pakistan has entered into a joint defense
00:28:20agreement which is known as it was signed in Makkka, so
00:28:24makkah joint defense agreement on 7th
00:28:26of August, is inaugural meeting took
00:28:29place in in Istanbul. on 31st of
00:28:33August Pakistan has the privilege and honor to have
00:28:37the first secretary general of three years term, his headquarters going to be
00:28:41in Raad, a committee, working
00:28:45committee is working on finalizing its organ and
00:28:48other detail
00:28:50and and operation detail, it has a
00:28:54permanent committee which is called SPDC, strategic
00:28:57political and defense committee, which comprises of from three countries
00:29:01from each country, the foreign ministers, the defense ministers, the army
00:29:05chiefs, the idea is not any
00:29:08offensive, the idea is totally objective is
00:29:12defensive, so it is for self defense and it
00:29:16is nothing which is against any international law or
00:29:19charter, charter 51 laws the
00:29:22UN for self or the collective
00:29:25defense, that is the you know the lines on
00:29:29which NATO was created, so
00:29:33our real objective is to create peace in this region to
00:29:37to bring you closeness among the and
00:29:40it is, it is not restricted to these three countries, it has very
00:29:43clear
00:29:45you know clauses which will allow other countries once we are
00:29:49fully you established maybe within a year,
00:29:52even other countries can join this this pact and
00:29:56this sovereign defense arrangement and the
00:30:00idea is, think it is the high time that this region
00:30:04must find an independent
00:30:07architecture to bring peace and security in this
00:30:10region from far from areas the time has proved, it
00:30:14is probably difficult if not impossible,
00:30:18so let me emphasize
00:30:21that we will obviously we must not
00:30:25be you know ignoring what's
00:30:29happening in the world, the times are very challenging.
00:30:32"the situations need full attention of
00:30:36all the countries in the region, particularly our region, and we have seen
00:30:39the energy supply chain disruption, we have seen the
00:30:43prices, the common man is suffering, again the government whatever could
00:30:47do for the two wheelers, three wheelers, subsidy, remove all the
00:30:51taxes, give refund through through tokens, almost
00:30:5510 over 10 million people are benefiting, so if you take average
00:30:58size of family.