ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar disclosedon Friday that Pakistan was preparing to conduct military operations insideAfghanistan against terrorist sanctuaries but called off the plan afterurgent intervention by Qatar, which offered to mediate with the AfghanTaliban.
Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Dar said the decisionto reconsider policy towards the Afghan Taliban government was unavoidableafter thousands of Pakistani security personnel had been killed or woundedin attacks originating from Afghan soil since August 2021.
“We have lost more than 4,000 officers and soldiers and over 20,000 havebeen injured since they came to power,” Dar stated, adding that Pakistancould no longer turn a blind eye to cross-border terrorism despitefraternal ties.
The foreign minister revealed that Qatar’s foreign ministry became aware ofPakistan’s intention to take direct action and immediately reached out withan offer of mediation. “That night the operation which was about to happenwas stopped,” he confirmed.
Dar emphasised that Qatar remained in contact “every hour” until Islamabadagreed to give dialogue another chance, though the mediation ultimatelyyielded no result. He noted that Doha itself was now disappointed with thelack of progress.
The deputy prime minister said terrorist incidents were increasing ratherthan declining, rejecting any notion that Pakistan lacked the capability toneutralise the threat. “Allah has given Pakistan the strength; we can seteverything right, but it is not right to enter a brother’s house andstrike,” he added.
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Dar also disclosed that Iran’s foreign minister recently proposed a jointinitiative involving Afghanistan, Qatar, Turkey and Iran to address theissue, signalling growing regional concern over the deteriorating securitysituation.
He expressed hope that Muslim and non-Muslim countries would soon uniteagainst terrorism, stressing that making the region peaceful remainedPakistan’s preferred option.
Source: www.dawn.com/news/1875432″>https://www.dawn.com/news/1875432