LONDON, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 28th Aug, 2026) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Ishaq Dar said on Friday that Pakistan and the United Kingdom had agreed to jointly lead an expanded partnership spanning trade, investment, fintech, and artificial intelligence, as he briefed the media on a series of high-level meetings held during his visit to London.
Speaking to journalists here, the deputy prime minister said his government was totally committed to taking the Pakistan-UK relationship forward, describing his talks with British officials as marking the start of the “next level of our strategic cooperation” between the two countries.
DPM Dar said he held a very meaningful meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, during which the two discussed the friendly relations between Pakistan and the Commonwealth, as well as preparations for this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
He said the Secretary-General had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attend the summit. A final decision is yet to be made, but Dar said Pakistan would “surely attend,” noting that he himself had represented Pakistan at the forum on a previous occasion.
The two sides also discussed reform initiatives and youth-related programs, with the Secretary-General expressing satisfaction over Pakistan’s work as co-chair on youth affairs. On disaster management, Dar said he offered Pakistan’s expertise to the Commonwealth, pointing out that despite contributing less than one percent of global emissions, Pakistan remains among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
The deputy prime minister also held what he described as a very comprehensive meeting with his counterpart, the UK Foreign Secretary. He recalled having met him a few weeks earlier in Manila, shortly after the Foreign Secretary’s appointment, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
While counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics cooperation remained part of the agenda, Dar said this round of talks focused heavily on the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, describing it as a valuable asset for bilateral relations. He added that both sides agreed to expand cooperation across the economy, investment, fintech, AI and IT sectors, with the two foreign ministers committing to jointly lead this partnership going forward.
DPM Dar noted that nearly 94 percent of Pakistani products currently entering the UK market enjoy special preferential treatment, a benefit Pakistan continues to enjoy. He said the British side fully endorsed the need to strengthen this trade relationship further, adding that with Pakistan’s new government now in place, he has been tasked with taking bilateral ties forward.
The deputy prime minister said he also held detailed talks with Stephen Doughty, who has taken over as the UK minister overseeing relations in this area, having previously worked with him in different capacities. He described the scope and potential for cooperation with the UK as considerable.
Additionally, DPM Dar met the UK’s National Security Adviser, a meeting also attended by Pakistan’s High Commissioner. He explained that such NSC-level meetings are typically held off-camera as a matter of standard security protocol, which is why the engagement was publicized only through a post from the Foreign Ministry, without accompanying photographs. He said the discussion was candid and wide-ranging.
Dar said that across all his meetings in London, interlocutors praised Pakistan’s role in efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran, commending Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership on the matter.
