Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar with cross-party Pakistan-origin British parliamentarians at Pakistan House in London. PHOTO: MoFA
The British lawmakers on Wednesday “lauded Pakistan’s leadership and mediation efforts in the Middle East” in a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, saying that “Pakistan’s historic role had been internationally recognised and had filled all overseas Pakistanis with pride”.
FM Dar arrived in London on Sunday to undertake a five-day official visit to the UK from August 24-28. During the visit, FM Dar is due to meet UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office minister of state for Pakistan, Stephen Doughty, as well as other senior UK government officials.
According to the statement issued by MoFA today, the parliamentarians included 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.
FM Dar “appreciated the important role played by the British parliamentarians in strengthening Pakistan-UK ties and their staunch advocacy for a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”, according to the ministry.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met a group of cross-party Pakistan-origin British parliamentarians at Pakistan House, London. The parliamentarians included Lord Zameer Choudrey, Lord Qurban Hussain, Baroness Shaista Sheehan, and… pic.twitter.com/OcBc91YR45
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 26, 2026
FM Dar shared Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic initiatives for de-escalation and peace in the Middle East. He underscored that “adherence to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by all parties was critical to achieving durable peace and stability in the region”.
Read: FM Dar urges IMO chief to help secure release of Pakistani crew held by Somali pirates
The deputy prime minister also highlighted “the importance of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in strengthening regional peace and stability”. He stressed that “the agreement was purely defensive in nature”, according to the Foreign Office.
The meeting also covered recent developments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the British parliamentarians congratulating FM Dar on the PML-N’s victory in the recent legislative assembly elections.
FM Dar said that “the people of AJK had reposed their confidence in the PML-N because of its past record of delivering economic growth and development”.
He said the new government would “prioritise investment in infrastructure and job creation for the youth of AJK”.
“The Federal Government and the Government of AJK would work with other political parties and stakeholders to build consensus on important governance and constitutional issues,” FM Dar said.
Read: DPM Dar to undertake five-day official visit to UK from August 24-28th
The parliamentarians also shared their views on other matters of common interest and “reaffirmed their commitment to further cementing ties between Pakistan and the UK”, the ministry said.
During his visit to the UK, FM Dar will also meet Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The foreign ministry said the deputy prime minister would also “engage with British parliamentarians and representatives of the British-Pakistani community”.
The visit assumes significance against the backdrop of Pakistan’s increasingly visible diplomatic role in regional and international affairs, with Islamabad seeking to translate its recent diplomatic engagements into stronger relations with major powers.
Diplomatic sources said FM Dar’s visit would provide an opportunity to further consolidate Pakistan’s ties with the UK and discuss a range of bilateral, regional and international issues.
