ISLAMABAD:Pakistan on Monday strongly rejected claims that it threatened to nuke Israel if it dropped an atom bomb on Iran, even as the foreign minister warned Tel Aviv “dare not look at Pakistan” with an evil eye.
Ishaq Dar, who is the leader of the house in the Senate as well as deputy prime minister, stressed that Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs were meant for the defence of the country.Dar said that the news attributed to an Iranian general regarding a nuclear strike on Israel was false and based on “fake news”.
The foreign minister’s remarks came at a time when reports were circulating on social media and mainstream media, claiming that in the event of a nuclear attack on Iran, Pakistan would retaliate by launching a nuclear strike on Israel.
While speaking in the Senate on Monday, Pakistan’s foreign minister said, “This is fake news”.”Pakistan’s nuclear program is a trust of our nation. This programme has been achieved by the Pakistani nation through immense sacrifices.”
He said that misleading misinformation was being spread and urged caution. “A clip about US President Trump was circulating yesterday, but it was later discovered to be AI-generated,” he said.He mentioned that after June 13, several fake news stories emerged.
“Netanyahu’s interview being circulated is from 2011. In such a sensitive situation, everyone should act responsibly. This is not child’s play – a serious kind of war is underway. Iran’s foreign minister remained in constant contact with me during the negotiations,” he said.
He stressed the need for caution: “A lot of wrong and misleading news is spreading. War is no joke. We must clarify things regarding fake news. The reports suggesting that Pakistan would launch a nuclear strike on Israel in case of an attack on Iran are baseless. Our nuclear and missile programs are solely for our own defence.”
He, however, made it clear that Pakistan was on high alert in view of the regional tensions and warned Israel not to cast an evil eye on Pakistan.”Our message is very clear for Israel: Dare not look at Pakistan,” Dar said, adding Pakistan had the strength and resolve to give a befitting response to any malafide action.
He recalled that the entire world saw the unity shown by the people of Pakistan in the wake of Indian aggression.
