ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday called on the media to exercise caution when discussing matters related to Pakistan’s foreign policy amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, citing “unease” voiced by “friendly countries”.
He made the remarks while addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry.
The press conference came against the backdrop of conflict in Iran, which has been embroiled in a war with the United States and Israel since the latter’s February 28 strikes, prompting retaliatory strikes from Iran on neighbouring countries, which house US bases.
Taking note of the recent escalation in the Middle East following US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the minister stressed the need for caution in the “narrative on these matters on social media, electronic media, and print media”.
“As a nation, we must keep in mind that when expressing our views, we have to keep the Constitution and Pakistan’s foreign policy under consideration,” he said.
He added that the analyses coming out of Pakistan had caused “unease on diplomatic fronts from at least a friendly country or some other corner”.
“We have been asked if this was Pakistan’s stance or an individual one,” he added.
At the outset of the press conference, the minister reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the tensions in the Middle East, stating that the country had been pushing for efforts to “find a diplomatic solution”.
In light of the prevailing situation, the minister urged the need to be careful in the “narratives coming from media as well as social media”.
“Pakistan is a responsible state and a nuclear state. Pakistan has an essential role in the region; it has its own identity and its own stance in terms of its defence and foreign policy,” the minister said.
He noted that Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of expression and read it aloud, stressing that there would be “reasonable restrictions” on it under the law.
“You have the fundamental right to freedom of expression, but you must be careful when it comes to the glory of Islam, the integrity, security and defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, and friendly relations with foreign states.”
The law minister held while it was the right of every Pakistani to “express their opinion, we must not abandon the limits laid out in the Constitution”.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2026
