Pakistan wants peace, trade with India, says Dar

E-Paper | May 31, 2026

WASHINGTON: Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan wanted peace in the region but would fittingly respond if India tried to impose war on the country, DawnNews reported.

The finance minister made the statements during a press briefing in Washington on Sunday. Dar is currently in Washington to discuss a range of strategic and economic issues with US lawmakers as well as members of international financial institutions.

He said that for progress in the region, it was pertinent to promote trade activities, adding that Pakistan wanted to maintain peaceful ties with India.

Also read: Dar promises steady GDP growth

Dar said it was clear that many wars have been fought in vain.

His remarks come as skirmishes between the India and Pakistan sides across the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary continue, having inflicted casualties on both sides.

According to a press release issued by the foreign ministry in Islamabad yesterday, Indian firing has so far killed 12 civilians and injured 52 in Pakistan this month.

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cognizance

Oct 13, 2014 09:44am

yes some might want peace with India...but the men in de facto rule of your country dont....so thats why when Nawaz Sharif talks peace with India he is consistently overruled.....unfortunate but true.

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mirza

Oct 13, 2014 09:50am

This man (sometimes) acts like a Foreign Minister.

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vin

Oct 13, 2014 09:51am

then why is MFN pending

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Ravi Dallas TX

Oct 13, 2014 09:59am

But the actions do not concur to what you say sir.

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anshul

Oct 13, 2014 10:07am

India too wants peace and trade with pakistan but bit confuse whom to talk for that. From outside it looks like many claiming they are true leaders Nawaz, IK, Quadri, TTP, Army, ISIS ?

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Israr Khan Ismailzai

Oct 13, 2014 10:07am

Of course you do, to protect our beloved PM's investment in India.

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Rajab Ali

Oct 13, 2014 10:10am

Not Pakistan so eager for the trade but it NS and his family.

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kumar

Oct 13, 2014 10:14am

Abe hut

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FGP

Oct 13, 2014 10:20am

Pakistan fires first at Indian posts and then runs crying to the world community when India retaliates. How do you spell "Chutzpah" in Urdu? Also, if you want better trade ties, why haven't you granted MFN status to India, when India has already done the same for some time? You could have had normal trade ties with India decades ago, but have held it hostage to the Kashmir issue. Like your former PM once said, that you will one day have to eat grass in order to get what you want. May his wish for his country come true.

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Indian

Oct 13, 2014 10:28am

"Fitting Response" - like what? Like 90,000 soldiers surrendering? Or refusing to accept bodies of your own soldiers? What will it be this time?

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Sandeep

Oct 13, 2014 10:29am

Actions need to match words.. Indian government should stick to its stand this time. No more doublespeak should be accepted

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Sandeep

Oct 13, 2014 10:30am

@FGP.. this comment may not get published, but cant resist it. Its not Chutzpah, but the right work starts with the same letters, and is well understood in both hindi and urdu..

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Farah Ahmed

Oct 13, 2014 10:31am

Samdhi Ji, you can stop fooling the people now.

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A Pakistani

Oct 13, 2014 10:33am

India shells you day and night, and you go out and say, we want peace and trade with India. What a spineless statement.

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Syed

Oct 13, 2014 10:35am

Translation : Nawaz wants to trade with Jindal.

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sap india

Oct 13, 2014 10:48am

Trade of bullets and shells is the only option for India regarding rogue Pakistan as they don't know to respect others

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ashok kumar lal

Oct 13, 2014 10:49am

what Pak can export to India.Narcotics.It is already exporting it.

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jay

Oct 13, 2014 10:51am

Ofcourse civilian govt. Wants trade n good relation but it is the pak army who always wanted to be in action n little they hear civilian govt as we all now

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maqboolfida

Oct 13, 2014 10:53am

make up your mind please!!!!!

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Payal

Oct 13, 2014 10:59am

Even India wants peace and trade with Pakistan, but is that possible with such skirmish at the border?

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Kittu

Oct 13, 2014 11:12am

I think civilians in India and Pakistan want friendship, peace and prosperity. This is possible once civilians control the Army.

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Neeraj

Oct 13, 2014 11:14am

@A Pakistani India is a succes.... what will india benefit from a war with pakistan ???

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Sohail

Oct 13, 2014 11:18am

@FGP Kashmir issue is long overdue. Your government agreed to resolve the issue as per aspirations of people of Kashmir, then why back off from your stance. If you keep on denying the Kashmiris of their right of self-determination, by might of your military power, there can be no peace. This is not an issue of land between both countries. Pakistan is not demanding the land of Kashmir but asking to give people of Kashmir their right of self determination. Don't you remember India has no legal justification for occupying Kashmir.

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V K Das

Oct 13, 2014 11:26am

That is a sensible demand. Talk peace and not war. Accept the realities of the ground situation and benefit from India's progress and share its technology and prosperity for mutual benefit. However, will the Pak military accept it and risk losing its false position in Pak society which is that of an Army that has never won a war and is not capable of it particularly against India.

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Vectra

Oct 13, 2014 11:39am

@FGP well they want to eat grass then let them eat grass but we will eat what we call food r fruits or vegetables not grass because we cant eat grass.

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Qamar

Oct 13, 2014 11:45am

All our politicians including ministers should stop giving statements. These things don't solve any problems. Problems with India are permanent.

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Mr. K

Oct 13, 2014 11:53am

Peace is a subjective term. It can mean either peace like in Switzerland or peace as in American controlled Iraq.

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MRM

Oct 13, 2014 12:58pm

Who does not want peace, what you are waiting for. Live and let India live in Peace. You folks are hinting by saying You are Nuclear state. What does it mean

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Normal

Oct 13, 2014 01:20pm

Is this the befitting reply that Pakistan was talking about. Peace and Trade ?

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Zain Ullah Khan

Oct 13, 2014 01:50pm

@Rajab Ali Correct.

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Nivas

Oct 13, 2014 03:09pm

@Sohail - And there comes the Kashmir bogey again. Who drove away the Kashmiri Pandits the real owners of the land 25 years back? If a land belongs to Muslims just because they are in majority and it will NEVER accept any other faiths, can we apply the same logic all around the world? We can give Kashmir. Please call all your brothers / sisters in India and go once for all. Atleast, we will be relieved of our daily menace! Can you do that? Your govt can't feed your own people. Why look into Kashmir...? Let us assume that India is "aggressive" and do all "attrocities". Why do you care? If it had been non-muslims in that land, would you even bother to shout at us? Look at your own affairs before poking your nose to other country's affairs. Pakistan doesn't have any right or morality to ask Independence for Kashmir.

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dv1936

Oct 13, 2014 03:29pm

Stop hate mongering first.

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ajith

Oct 13, 2014 04:11pm

90% of the people in India love to have good relationship with Pakistan, i believe same in Pakistani too. Most of the common people in india believe that NS's effort to improve relationship with india is true

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Agha Ata

Oct 13, 2014 05:49pm

Does the Establishment agree with you?

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Oct 13, 2014 06:35pm

He is famous for making wrong statements at the wrong time.

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John

Oct 13, 2014 08:27pm

Mr. Dar. don't put the cart before the horse. - trade comes after peace. Please make peace and trade will follow.

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Malik

Oct 13, 2014 09:05pm

India has the poorest and worst slums in the world.

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American

Oct 13, 2014 10:01pm

Pakistan has two things to trade with India. One is terrorism and another is bull sh*t talk. They are doing this now anyway. No duty plenty in Pakistan.

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Davis

Oct 14, 2014 05:31am

PML(n) is bunch of Dihati women who have no heart. They are offering trade while Modi is offering them bomb and bullets killing innocent citizen.

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harith

Oct 14, 2014 06:06am

@Sohail Is this your business?

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Reddy

Oct 14, 2014 08:10am

We all know what happened to Hindus in east and west Pakistan, if Kashmiri Muslims can't live with us like rest of 150M muslims they should go back to where their ancestors came from (Middle east) or Pakistan which was created for unhappy, non secular Muslims of subcontinent.

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WhatsInName

Oct 14, 2014 10:06am

@Nivas Perfect bro! Hope they understand what you said.

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kashif

Oct 14, 2014 10:10am

NO, Not People of Pakistan Only Nawaz his family and friends what's all this.

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sidhu

Oct 14, 2014 10:30am

we do not want anything from you, please leave us alone and forget about kashmir. our gdp is going to grow at 8-9 pc rate in five years and we need stability in pakistan to achieve it.

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sameer

Oct 14, 2014 10:42am

@FGP The latest news is UN turned down Pakistan's request. saying that it should be resolve bilaterally

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Ahmer

Oct 14, 2014 10:59am

Trade is all MNS and his relatives think of even when innocent women and children are being killed.

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Jason

Oct 14, 2014 11:14am

Trade??? What trade?? What do you have to trade except for women who are happy to get out of their clothes in Bollywood for an amount of money less than 5% of what the extras charge in dance scenes!

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Parvez

Oct 15, 2014 10:06pm

Peace and trade have to be on equal terms that are mutually respected........otherwise its a waste of time.

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