ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar departed for Beijing on a three-day official visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Monday.
Dar’s visit comes amid intensified diplomatic activity between Pakistan and China, following heightened regional tensions triggered by the recent Pahalgam standoff with India. The agenda for the trip includes a broad spectrum of bilateral and regional issues, with strategic dialogue expected at the highest levels.
While in Beijing, the Deputy Prime Minister will engage in wide-ranging discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior Chinese leadership, including key figures from the Chinese Communist Party. The talks will focus on recent geopolitical developments and strengthening the multifaceted Pakistan-China partnership.
According to the foreign ministry, the visit is part of regular high-level exchanges that underscore the robustness of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two nations. It also reflects deepening coordination amid a shifting regional security landscape.
The visit follows an invitation extended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In a significant development, Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is also scheduled to arrive in China on May 20 for a trilateral meeting with leaders from Pakistan and China, highlighting regional cooperation efforts.
China has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Pakistan during the recent military escalation with India. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan emphasized the “enduring and ironclad” nature of the relationship, noting that the two countries have always stood by each other in difficult times.
The Pahalgam incident led to a military confrontation between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. In response to Indian airstrikes targeting areas within Pakistan, Islamabad launched “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” a large-scale retaliatory military campaign that officials described as “precise and proportionate.”
According to Pakistan’s military (ISPR), six Indian fighter jets — including three Rafales — and dozens of drones were downed during the conflict. The operation targeted multiple Indian military installations, and the hostilities concluded after 87 hours with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
The military confrontation resulted in the martyrdom of 53 Pakistanis, including 13 armed forces personnel and 40 civilians, as reported by ISPR.
Dar’s visit is seen as a critical diplomatic move to consolidate regional alliances and reaffirm Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China in the aftermath of the conflict.
