Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing on Monday for a three-day official visit aimed at deepening strategic and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.
The visit, taking place at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During his stay, Dar will hold wide-ranging talks with Chinese leadership on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest.
According to the Foreign Office, the two sides will discuss the evolving situation in South Asia, with a focus on maintaining peace and promoting regional stability.
During his meetings, Deputy Prime Minister Dar and his Chinese counterpart will conduct a comprehensive review of all aspects of Pakistan-China relations. The discussions are expected to cover progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade and investment, defense cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
This visit is part of the ongoing high-level diplomatic exchanges between Islamabad and Beijing, underscoring the importance both countries attach to their “all-weather” strategic cooperative partnership.
Earlier, Dar asserted that India’s “blame game” against Pakistan has been exposed to the world, dismissing recent allegations as baseless.
Speaking to the media at the airport ahead of his official three-day visit to China, Dar said the international community now recognizes that the accusations levelled by India lack merit. “India has been exposed all over the world. The world has come to know that the allegations against Pakistan were baseless,” he said.
The visit, scheduled from May 19 to 21, comes at a critical juncture following recent escalations between the two neighbours.
Invited by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Mr Dar is set to hold in-depth discussions on the evolving regional situation in South Asia, its impact on peace and stability, as well as bilateral relations.
Highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic strides in recent weeks, Mr Dar revealed that Islamabad has engaged with representatives from over 60 countries to communicate its position and build international understanding amid the heightened tensions.
He underscored the importance of Pakistan-China ties, describing China as “our iron friend” and reaffirmed that the visit would strengthen the “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” between the two countries.
“Besides bilateral relations, we will discuss the recent tension with India and global issues of mutual interest,” he said, adding that the visit forms part of ongoing high-level exchanges aimed at further consolidating the friendship between Pakistan and China.
During the trip, Mr Dar is expected to review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China cooperation, including trade and regional security concerns, reflecting the close diplomatic coordination between the two nations.
Pakistan desires peace, regional stability: Dar
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that Pakistan had desired peace in the region for the betterment of its people and economy.
Expressing his thoughts in Islamabad, Dar said Pakistan did not initiate the tensions with India, and friendly countries were attempting to reduce the hostilities between the two nations. He said: "India had told friendly nations that Pakistan attacked 15 military installations."
"However, Pakistan clarified to various countries that it did not launch any attacks. A European country confirmed that Pakistan did not carry out any strike and stated, "You are right, Pakistan did not attack," he said.
The foreign minister said that India had failed to provide any evidence regarding the Pahalgam attack to this day. He said India's intentions were different, and it used the Pulwama incident as a pretext. India claimed it shot down a Pakistani F-16 aircraft, but an official statement the following day confirmed that no F-16 had flown or been destroyed.
Dar added that India sent 70 to 80 fighter jets towards Pakistan, and Pakistan did not respond until Indian aircraft launched an attack. Six Indian jets took part in the operation, and the same six jets were brought down.
