ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday departed for China on an official visit amid ongoing Middle East conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.
The Foreign Office, in a statement, said Dar is paying the visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. This marks his second visit to Beijing this year.
Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, characterized by close coordination and regular consultations on regional and international issues.
DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 departed #Islamabad this morning for a one-day visit to #Beijing, #China, at the invitation of his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Both leaders will review bilateral ties and discuss regional & global issues of mutual… pic.twitter.com/GTxPlk3KJh
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 31, 2026
In this context, the upcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth discussions on regional developments, as well as bilateral and global issues of mutual interest.
DPM Dar’s visit to China, despite medical advice to rest following his hairline shoulder fracture yesterday, is evidence of the importance placed by Pakistan on its relationship with China.
The visit comes after Pakistan hosted a quadrilateral huddle of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt where they stressed the need for an immediate end to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
On the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that the participants discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.
The meeting, attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, agreed that war served no one’s interests and discussed ways to bring an early and permanent end to the conflict.
“The Foreign Ministers held a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation. We also discussed the possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region”, Dar stated in a post shared on X (former Twitter).
“The Foreign Ministers expressed concerns that the ongoing conflict is extremely unfortunate for its devastating impact on lives and livelihoods across the wider region. We agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction”, the post reads.
“I briefed the visiting Foreign Ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The visiting Foreign Ministers expressed their full support for the initiative. The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed unity to contain the situation, reduce the risk of military escalations and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties,” Dar stated in the post.
The Foreign Ministers advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable pathway to prevent conflicts and to promote regional peace and harmony.
“We called for upholding principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states”, the post reads.
The Foreign Ministers also discussed ways and means to further strengthen cooperation among the four brotherly countries.
“As you know, under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has maintained regular engagement with our regional and international partners. Pakistan has remained actively involved in all efforts and initiatives aimed at bringing this conflict to an end.
Pakistan also has a very important relationship with the United States. We have remained actively engaged with the US leadership as well, as part of our efforts to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“In this context, Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks. Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict”.
