‘Pakistan has become extremely relevant on global stage,’ says Tarar

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday said that Pakistan had become “extremely relevant” on the global stage after its performance during the military conflict against India in May.

Elaborating on Pakistan’s image and standing in the world in the conflict’s aftermath while speaking at a function, the information minister said, “In a very short span of time, we have become extremely relevant in our foreign policy. We have seen in the past two years, and especially after the May war, I think that has redefined who we are.”

He said the “turning point” after the Pahalgam incident was Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s open offer for an impartial and fair investigation because “we were often blamed for terror acts that were not our fault, and in fact, being the biggest victims of terrorism, there was a propaganda against Pakistan, blaming us for terrorism.”

The information minister said that “you can’t be a victim and an aggressor at the same time — it’s an oxymoron, an inherent contradiction, it’s just not possible.”

He said no other country could lay claim to the loss of 90,000 lives in the war against terrorism or billions in economic losses. “We are also a shield and a wall between the terrorists and the rest of the world,” Tarar added, saying that the sacrifice of any Pakistani was also for the sake of making the world a better place.

The minister said the above sacrifices could not go in vain.

“So, I think the time was right that the world heard our story and heard it right. By authoring this investigation just before the war, I think we had a point to prove that our hands were clean, and that point was well taken.

“That turning point strengthened our fence, our alliances and countries that were on the fence; it made them realise what Pakistan stands for, and by authoring this investigation, Pakistan made a good diplomatic move which was well received the world over. I think after that, there was immense diplomatic engagement … and that constant engagement really helped us prove our point to the world.

“So when I say the world was changing, Pakistan also changed; we saw an aggressive diplomatic change. Our diplomacy worked very well because we were taking it and relations with all countries very seriously. There was no laxity, and there was no room for any complacency, and we were right on the job,” the information minister said.

He added that Pakistan did all it could on international media outlets. “We had the strength of the truth, so when we told the story and told it right, the world heard it, and it had an impact. So the right kind of aggressive diplomacy with the right kind of marketing campaign with the right kind of information to counter misinformation and disinformation — so we were everywhere all across,” he further said. Staff Report