By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is exploring the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday, signaling a potential realignment in Islamabad’s regional strategy.
The move comes alongside heightened security concerns shared with China over Afghanistan’s handling of militant groups and a robust push to expand economic cooperation through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Office, Dar said he held a “cordial” telephone conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, where both sides agreed to consider formal diplomatic ties. “I held a cordial conversation today with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, and agreed to consider establishing diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Armenia,” Dar said.
Mirzoyan confirmed the discussion on X, writing, “Had an important phone call with DPM & FM Ishaq Dar today. Following recent developments & in line with the vision of cooperative engagement both bilaterally & on multilateral platforms, we discussed establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia & Pakistan.”
Pakistan, the only country not to recognise Armenia, has historically aligned with Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, bolstered by Armenia’s close ties with India. However, a recent US-brokered peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has prompted Islamabad to reassess its stance.
“Since Armenia and Azerbaijan have resolved their differences and established diplomatic ties, what problem do we have,” Dar said, while reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Azerbaijan and Turkey, both of which backed Islamabad during its May confrontation with India.
The potential opening to Armenia marks a significant shift for Pakistan, which Dar described as part of a broader, proactive foreign policy. “We are not just reacting, we are shaping regional conversations and global dialogues,” he said, emphasizing Pakistan’s role in multilateral forums like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations, where it recently facilitated a Security Council resolution on Palestine.
Dar’s remarks came amid growing frustration with Afghanistan over the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for attacks in Pakistan. In recent trilateral meetings with China and Afghanistan, both Islamabad and Beijing pressed Kabul to take decisive action.
“Pakistan and China both have security concerns. We clearly told Afghanistan either take decisive action against the TTP, or hand them over to us,” Dar said, noting that Afghanistan has incorporated “hundreds” of pro-TTP elements into its governance.
During a bilateral meeting in Kabul, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi informed Dar that Afghanistan had established 700 border posts to curb cross-border infiltration. “I do not doubt their intentions, neither has there been any resistance from the Afghan side on our proposals of action against the TTP,” Dar said.
However, he expressed concern over a Thursday démarche from Afghanistan, which summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to protest alleged Pakistani military strikes in Nangarhar and Khost provinces. Dar, who reviewed the démarche on Friday morning, called for investigations but did not deny the allegations.
On the economic front, Dar announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from August 30 to September 4 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. Sharif will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss expanding CPEC, including a proposal to extend the corridor to Afghanistan and link Kabul to the Peshawar Highway.
“China in principle has accepted Pakistan’s proposal to extend CPEC to Afghanistan,” Dar said, noting Beijing’s growing interest in Pakistan’s agriculture, mining, and industrial sectors.
The Foreign Office later confirmed that Sharif’s visit will include a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the World’s Anti-Fascist War and a Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference.
“The visit manifests the importance attached by the two countries to further deepen their ‘All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,’” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Dar also revealed plans to send 1,000 Pakistani graduates to China for advanced agricultural education and noted that 2026 will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, with cultural and economic events planned. Pakistan’s unwavering support for the “One China Policy” was reaffirmed, with Dar acknowledging China’s consistent backing on the Kashmir issue.
Dar’s press conference also touched on recent diplomatic engagements. During an August 23-24 visit to Bangladesh, the first by a Pakistani foreign minister in over a decade, Dar signed six memoranda of understanding on visa waivers, trade cooperation, and cultural exchange.
He pushed for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), noting that Bangladesh supports the initiative but “one state’s resistance remains a hurdle,” an apparent reference to India.
On India, Dar adopted a firm stance, insisting that any dialogue must be comprehensive and not limited to terrorism. “If India wants to talk, we will have a composite dialogue and not on terrorism only, it will be on equal footing and with mutual respect.” He also warned that any “water aggression” by India would be treated as an act of war, underscoring tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty.
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