ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday discussed cooperation on multilateral platforms with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, with the foreign office in Islamabad describing their conversation as “productive.”
Both Pakistan and Denmark began their two-year terms as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in January 2025, joining the 15-member body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
The Council comprises five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
Non-permanent members play a crucial role in shaping the Council’s agenda, participating in decision-making processes, and contributing to resolutions on global issues.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar had a productive phone conversation with Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen,” the foreign office said in a social media post. “The two leaders expressed their resolve to strengthen the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and Denmark into a strong economic partnership.”
“They explored ways to expedite collaboration in trade and investment through the promotion of Public-Private Partnerships,” it continued. “Additionally, as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2025 and 2026, they pledged to cooperate on multilateral platforms to advance mutual interests, peace, and sustainable development.”
In August 2022, Pakistan and Denmark signed the Green Framework Engagement Agreement, aiming to enhance collaboration on climate change mitigation, renewable energy and sustainable development. While the volume of trade between the two countries remains modest, Pakistan has sought to intensify economic diplomacy with European nations in recent years.
The relations between both sides have also faced challenges in the past. In 2005, anti-Islam caricatures published in a Danish newspaper led to public protests in Pakistan.
In 2008, the Danish embassy in Islamabad was targeted in a bombing that led to several casualties, with Al-Qaeda claiming responsibility and citing the cartoons as its motivation.
More recently, Denmark faced criticism from Muslim states for allowing public burnings of Islamic scripture.
In December 2023, however, the Danish government enacted a law criminalizing the public desecration of religious texts, deescalating tensions and aiding in the normalization of diplomatic relations with Muslim-majority countries.
Pakistan and Denmark discuss multilateral cooperation, strengthening economic ties
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Pakistan and Denmark discuss multilateral cooperation, strengthening economic ties
- Both countries began their two-year terms as non-permanent Security Council members in January
- They discuss trade and investment by leveraging public-private partnership, says the foreign office
Security forces kill four militants in Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan
- The operation was conducted in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on reports about militant presence
- It comes days after militants rammed an explosive-laden car into a Pakistani checkpost, killing 11 security personnel
KARACHI: Pakistani security forces have killed four Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in an operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province that border Afghanistan, the Pakistani military said late Thursday.
The operation was conducted in KP’s Lakki Marwat district on reports about militant presence, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Weapons and ammunition were seized from the deceased militants who remained actively involved in numerous militant activities in the area.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharja (militant) found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
New Delhi did not immediately respond to the statement.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP, where militant groups, particularly the TTP, have frequently targeted security forces, law enforcers and government officials in recent years.
Earlier this week, Pakistani Taliban militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the wall of a checkpost manned jointly by security forces and law enforcement agencies in KP’s Bajaur district, killing 11 security personnel among 12 people, the Pakistani military’s media wing said.
It added that 12 militants were also gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil and India of backing militant groups for cross-border attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
Earlier on Thursday, Islamabad also issued a demarche to the Afghan deputy head of mission for the “terrorist” attack that killed 12 people, including 11 security personnel, Pakistan’s foreign office said.
