Ishaq Dar Meets British Parliamentarians to Strengthen Pakistan-UK Ties

LONDON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met a cross-party group of Pakistan-origin British parliamentarians at Pakistan House in London, discussing bilateral relations, regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

The meeting was attended by Lord Zameer Choudrey, Lord Qurban Hussain, Baroness Shaista Sheehan, Lord Shaffaq Mohammed, and Members of Parliament Mohammad Yasin, Yasmin Qureshi, Afzal Khan, Zubir Ahmed and Adnan Hussain.

Ishaq Dar appreciated the important role played by the British parliamentarians in strengthening Pakistan-UK relations and their continued advocacy for a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The British lawmakers lauded Pakistan’s leadership and mediation efforts in the Middle East, saying that Pakistan’s historic role had received international recognition and filled overseas Pakistanis with pride.

The Deputy Prime Minister shared details of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic initiatives aimed at promoting de-escalation and peace in the Middle East. He underscored that adherence by all parties to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was critical to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

Ishaq Dar also highlighted the significance of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in strengthening regional peace and stability, stressing that the agreement was purely defensive in nature.

The meeting also covered recent developments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The British parliamentarians congratulated Ishaq Dar on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s victory in the recent legislative assembly elections.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had placed their confidence in the PML-N because of its previous record of promoting economic growth and development. He said the new government would focus on investment in infrastructure and creating employment opportunities for the youth of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that the Federal Government and the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir would work with other political parties and stakeholders to develop consensus on key governance and constitutional matters.

The parliamentarians also exchanged views with the Deputy Prime Minister on other matters of common interest and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding ties between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.