Ishaq Dar’s year-end presser exposes where Pakistan must introspect

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a year-end press conference on December 27, highlighting the country’s foreign policy achievements in 2025. He emphasized Pakistan’s nuclear capability, economic aid from Saudi Arabia, China, and the UAE, and improving ties with the US, China, and Bangladesh. Dar claimed military success against India during the May conflict and advocated for Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination. However, he ignored Pakistan’s closed borders with three neighbors and structural socio-economic challenges, showing the country’s inability to introspect. The presser reflects Pakistan’s reliance on its military establishment and misalignment between ambitions and realities.