Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has cautioned that escalating global conflicts are putting international peace at serious risk, calling for urgent South Asia regional cooperation to address shared challenges.

He made these remarks while speaking at the Islamabad Conclave 2025, themed “Reimagining South Asia: Security, Economy, Climate, Connectivity.”

Dar stressed that “burning conflicts” around the world are endangering global stability. Referring to Pakistan’s tense confrontation with India in May, he noted that the situation could have escalated dramatically. However, Pakistan’s “resolve and capability” ensured deterrence and prevented a wider conflict.

Highlighting long-standing regional issues, Dar said that sustainable peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without resolving the Kashmir dispute, which continues to threaten regional security and stability.

He described South Asia as the world’s most populous region, yet deeply vulnerable to poverty, inequality, sudden disasters, climate change, and food insecurity. Rising temperatures, frequent floods, and extreme weather events are already inflicting heavy economic losses across the region.

Dar emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collective action, particularly in water management, climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and climate-smart agriculture. He reiterated that South Asia regional cooperation is the only viable way forward if the region hopes to unlock its true potential.

The deputy prime minister also strongly criticised Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza, calling the violence a “genocidal war” and a humanitarian catastrophe. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for diplomacy and peaceful dispute resolution in all global conflicts.

Dar further noted that South Asia’s security and economic fragility cannot be tackled effectively while political divisions persist. He urged the removal of artificial roadblocks hindering SAARC’s functioning, saying regional connectivity must replace confrontation and mistrust.

Concluding his address, he underscored the need for dialogue, diplomacy, and multilateralism grounded in the UN Charter and international law. “Pakistan seeks a just, equitable, and inclusive world order and has consistently advocated cooperation over confrontation,” he said.