U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Washington on Friday, praising its counterterrorism cooperation and discussing trade and regional security, just days after sanctioning Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) offshoot terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF).
Following the meeting, Rubio shared a statement on X, expressing gratitude to Dar for “Pakistan’s partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.”
“Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector. I also thanked him for Pakistan’s partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability,” Rubio posted on X.
Bilateral Trade
Both sides also explored avenues to boost bilateral trade and intensify cooperation in the critical minerals and mining sectors, which have emerged as vital components in global strategic supply chains.
According to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Secretary Rubio conveyed appreciation for “Pakistan’s continued readiness to contribute constructively in dialogues with Iran and its dedication to maintaining regional stability.”
Among the key items on the agenda was the upcoming U.S.-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue, scheduled to take place in Islamabad this August.
Discussions centred on enhancing joint efforts to combat terror groups such as ISIS-K, as Washington and Islamabad seek to scale up coordinated counterterrorism initiatives across the region.
Rubio underlined the importance of “expanding mutually beneficial bilateral trade” and emphasised the growing potential for joint ventures in the minerals sector, particularly in light of increasing global demand for rare and strategic resources.
Ishaq Dar’s US Tour
As reported by Arab News, Ishaq Dar is currently on an eight-day official visit to the United States, during which he has presided over multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sessions as part of Pakistan’s rotating presidency for the month.
The high-level meeting took place shortly after Rubio’s announcement that the U.S. government would designate The Resistance Front (TRF)—a proxy for the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 civilians—mostly tourists—were killed.
(With inputs from IBNS)
