Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that British officials had praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran during high-level meetings. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir were praised for their leadership in “challenging times”.
Addressing a news conference in London, FM Dar called his UK visit “extremely useful,” and said that he held comprehensive talks with the UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on bilateral ties and counter-terrorism cooperation.
“In all the meetings, British officials praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the US and Iran, in particular the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir for playing such a positive role in such challenging times,” he added.
FM Dar noted that discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, focused on “reforms and youth initiatives”, with Pakistan co-chairing the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Dar further added that he highlighted Pakistan’s “vulnerability” to climate change, noting that Pakistan remains among the world’s ten most affected countries.
