EDITORIAL:

Dar’s quiet line

Ishaq Dar, as Pakistan's foreign and deputy prime minister, resisted the urge, so common in crises, for maximalist posturing. He did not parade diplomatic telegrams for public approval. He did not pick Twitter fights. He kept Pakistan’s tone serious and sober.

IN APRIL 2025, AS subcontinental skies darkened with the smoke of airstrikes and diplomatic channels crackled with alarm, Pakistan found itself again in the unforgiving crosshairs of regional escalation. Amid the rumble of military manoeuvres and the chorus of global anxiety, a familiar, often underrated figure emerged at the forefront—not with brash pronouncements, but with the precision of language and the weight of political consequence. Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, stood at the helm of the country’s diplomatic response in what many feared could spiral into full-scale war.

The crisis had detonated with grim predictability: a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left dozens dead, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor—targeted missile strikes inside Pakistani territory. The world held its breath. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos. Yet while the military managed the battlefield, it was Dar who was tasked with navigating the far more intricate terrain of perception, messaging, and international pressure. His very first move was to call the Indian strikes what they were: “an act of war.” It was a sharp statement, but one rooted in legalism rather than jingoism—setting the tone for a posture that was firm, not inflammatory.

His next steps were not shouted from podiums but taken in back rooms and foreign capitals. Within days of the Indian strikes, Dar travelled to Beijing to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. It was a critical stop: not just for optics, but to reaffirm Pakistan’s strategic alignment with its most powerful regional ally. Beijing’s subsequent public call for Indian restraint and affirmation of Pakistan’s sovereignty was no accident—it bore the fingerprints of a careful diplomatic orchestration. Dar had done what many before him had failed to do in moments of tension: internationalise the crisis without appearing desperate.

He also moved quickly on multilateral fronts. Under Dar’s guidance, Pakistan engaged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which issued a joint statement backing Pakistan and calling on India to end its hostile rhetoric—an outcome that may seem routine but in fact marked one of the OIC’s more decisive interventions in the Kashmir discourse in recent years. Dar knew the power of collective voice and used it to shape the narrative: Pakistan was acting in defence, not provocation.

At home, Dar was equally calculated. While the military dominated television screens with press briefings and footage of intercepted drones, Dar stood beside them—delivering a civilian counterpoint that was as crucial as any missile defence system. He avoided rabble-rousing, instead invoking restraint, responsibility, and dignity. In doing so, he anchored Pakistan’s moral stance in language the world could accept: self-defence, sovereignty, and proportionality.

Most pivotal of all was his announcement of a ceasefire agreement on 10 May 2025. With the region bracing for protracted skirmishes, Dar declared that Pakistan had agreed to a cessation of hostilities “without compromising sovereignty.” It was not a victory speech; it was a de-escalation call, measured and mature. The language mattered. It signalled that Pakistan would not be dragged into performative nationalism. Under Dar, Islamabad sent a clear message: the conflict would end on Pakistan’s terms, not under duress, and without betraying its principles.

What Dar did not do is equally significant. He resisted the urge—so common in crises—for maximalist posturing. He did not parade diplomatic telegrams for public approval. He did not pick Twitter fights. He kept Pakistan’s tone serious and sober. And in an environment where loud voices often gain traction, his restraint was radical.

Of course, there are limits to what he achieved. Dar’s tenure is not without its shadows; his economic past remains the subject of spirited debate, and his political loyalty to the Sharif camp has always coloured perceptions of his independence. But in this moment—perhaps the most fraught geopolitical episode since Pulwama—he acted not as a partisan figure, but as a steward of the republic. And in crisis politics, that is no small feat.

Statesmanship is often recognised too late. But let it be said now, while the smoke still lingers faintly over the border: Ishaq Dar handled his portfolio with caution, intelligence, and resolve. He managed not only Pakistan’s external position, but also its internal equilibrium—a task far more difficult than speeches or sanctions.

If diplomacy is the art of preventing what seems inevitable, then Ishaq Dar’s work in April and May 2025 was nothing short of artful. Not flamboyant. Not flawless. But effective—and that, in the language of peace, is the highest praise of all.

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