DPM Ishaq Dar, US Rubio to hold first high-level conversation on July 25

Washington— Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 25 in Washington, marking the first high-level engagement between the two countries since Rubio assumed office earlier this year.

The meeting was confirmed by US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing on Tuesday. “Preparations for the meeting are complete, and I will be present alongside top leaders from both delegations,” she stated.

Dar is currently in the United States on an official visit, with earlier engagements in New York, where he met with members of the Pakistani diaspora, participated in dialogues with leading US think tanks, and conducted interviews with international media outlets.

While the official agenda for the Washington meeting has not been publicly disclosed, diplomatic sources suggest that discussions will likely center on regional security dynamics, including the Kashmir dispute, growing India-Pakistan tensions, and New Delhi’s recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The high-stakes visit comes in the wake of renewed violence in South Asia. In April, a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam left 26 people dead. India blamed Pakistan for the incident—an allegation Islamabad strongly denied, instead urging for an independent international investigation.

Tensions peaked on May 7 when Indian jets conducted strikes on Pakistani territory, prompting a swift and intense military response. The resulting conflict saw exchanges of airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery fire, with dozens of casualties reported on both sides before a fragile ceasefire was brokered.

According to Pakistani officials, Dar is expected to personally thank US President Donald Trump for what Islamabad considers his “constructive role” in de-escalating the confrontation between the two nuclear-armed nations. Last month, Pakistan formally nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, with a letter signed by Dar sent to the Nobel Committee in Oslo.

Trump has previously described the Kashmir issue as a “long-standing, unresolved dispute” and offered to mediate—a proposal welcomed by Pakistan but rejected by India.

Read more: DPM Dar Highlights Pakistan’s Commitment to SDGs at UN Ministerial Forum in New York

Observers say the upcoming meeting between Dar and Rubio could signal a potential reset in US-Pakistan relations, particularly as Washington looks to manage its strategic interests in a volatile South Asian region.