Ishaq Dar makes first contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held his first phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, during which the U.S. diplomat expressed interest in strengthening cooperation across a range of sectors, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).

During the conversation, Dar and Rubio discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation. “During the call, DPM/FM Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing its partnership with the United States,” the statement said. “He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in areas like trade, investment, and counterterrorism.”

The FO added that Rubio reciprocated Dar’s interest in boosting trade and investment, particularly in sectors such as “critical minerals.”

"He stated that economic and trade cooperation would be the cornerstone of future relations between the two countries,” the statement continued, referring to Secretary Rubio.

Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts from 2013 to 2018, with Rubio acknowledging Pakistan’s ongoing fight against terrorism and expressing the U.S. desire to further enhance counterterrorism collaboration.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, with Secretary Rubio agreeing on the need to address the issue of U.S. military equipment left behind after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.

“DPM/FM Dar and Secretary of State Rubio agreed to stay in close contact and work together to advance the shared interests of both countries,” the statement concluded.

This call follows the recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a 10% tariff on all goods imported by the U.S., including those from Pakistan, with a 29% tariff on goods imported from Pakistan.

Ali Hasnain, an associate professor of economics at LUMS, noted that the U.S. is one of Pakistan’s key trade partners, accounting for nearly a fifth of the country’s exports. He added that Pakistan runs the largest trade surpluses with the U.S.

In response to declining market access in the U.S., Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently announced plans to send a high-level delegation to Washington, hoping to navigate the evolving U.S. tariff regime and turn it into a win-win situation for both nations.

“You should never let a good crisis go to waste. We are viewing this both as a challenge and an opportunity,” he said during a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday.