Washington (TDI): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington late Thursday night, kicking off the second leg of his official US visit that focuses on trade, economic cooperation, and diplomatic engagement.
He was received at the airport by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh and senior embassy officials.
During his stay in the US capital, Dar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department today. It will be his first official meeting with Rubio, and both sides are expected to explore ways to deepen bilateral ties, especially in trade, investment, and economic development.
He is also slated to speak at the Atlantic Council, a prominent Washington-based think tank, where he’ll outline Pakistan’s views on key regional and global developments, as well as Islamabad’s vision for its future relationship with Washington.
Read More: US Hints at Kashmir Discussion in Dar-Rubio Meeting on Friday
Ahead of the meeting, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the engagement, saying that senior officials from both sides, including herself, would participate in the talks.
Meanwhile, a separate delegation from Pakistan is scheduled to meet members of the Trump administration in an effort to finalize a long-discussed trade deal, according to media reports.
As part of the negotiations, Pakistan is reportedly pushing for relief from the 29% reciprocal tariffs imposed in April during the so-called “Liberation Day” trade announcement. In return, Islamabad has offered to ramp up imports of US cotton and soybeans. Pakistan is already the second-largest importer of American cotton after China.
The United States remains Pakistan’s top export market, with a trade surplus of roughly $3 billion in 2024.
Relations between Washington and Islamabad appear to be on an upward trajectory. President Donald Trump recently extended a rare invitation to Pakistan’s Army Chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir for talks at the White House, a move seen as signaling a diplomatic thaw.
Read More: Dar to Meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 25
Dar’s visit also underscores Islamabad’s rising engagement on the global stage, the Foreign Office said in a statement issued earlier this week, noting Pakistan’s active role in both bilateral diplomacy and multilateral forums during its current UN Security Council presidency.
On a parallel track, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has also held talks in Washington with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. According to the Finance Ministry, both sides expressed satisfaction with the pace of progress in advancing economic cooperation, which remains a key pillar of Pakistan-US ties.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
