RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday reiterated Islamabad and Ottawa’s resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand engagements in defence and security.
The Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand called on Field Marshal Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security and bilateral relations between Pakistan and Canada were discussed, ISPR said.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir highlighted Pakistan’s perspective on global peace and regional stability, underscoring the importance of cooperation and collaborative efforts to address common security challenges.
The Canadian Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan’s ongoing efforts and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, as well as its constructive role in promoting peace and stability.
Both sides reiterated their resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties and expand engagements in defence and security, ISPR said.
The Canadian Foreign Minister was in Islamabad on an official visit to Pakistan.
Canada seeks trade and investment partnership with Pakistan
Earlier, the Canadian Foreign Minister called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during her visit to Islamabad.
During the meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, Prime Minister Sharif welcomed the Canadian foreign minister and said Pakistan and Canada enjoyed friendly relations that should be further strengthened, particularly in trade, investment, agriculture, and agri-foods, vaccine manufacturing, renewable energy, and the automobile and auto parts industry, the PM House’s media wing said in a statement.
H.E. Ms. Anita Anand, Foreign Minister of Canada calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. Islamabad, 20 July, 2026. pic.twitter.com/rCWtkDs6cF
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 20, 2026
The prime minister conveyed his best wishes to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and said he looked forward to meeting him soon. Recalling his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Carney in April, he also thanked Canada for supporting Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand conveyed Prime Minister Carney’s greetings and said her visit was undertaken on his instructions to further expand Canada’s engagement with Pakistan. She expressed Ottawa’s strong interest in exploring new opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, mining, energy, and the automobile and auto parts sectors.
Islamabad : 20 July , 2026.
H.E. Ms. Anita Anand, Foreign Minister of Canada, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House, earlier today.
Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar,… pic.twitter.com/SeqbYZQo7l
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 20, 2026
Boosting Canadian investors’ confidence
She said the proposed Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would play an important role in boosting Canadian investors’ confidence and encouraging greater investment in Pakistan.
Both sides acknowledged the significant role of the Pakistani-Canadian community in strengthening ties between the two countries and agreed to exchange trade and minerals-sector delegations to identify new avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation and increased bilateral investment.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif witnesses the signing of a Protocol on Phyto-Sanitary regulations governing the import of Canola from Canada to Pakistan. Islamabad, 20 July, 2026. pic.twitter.com/hIAxl1RakZ
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 20, 2026
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of a Protocol on Phyto-sanitary Regulations governing the import of Canadian canola into Pakistan. The protocol was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Syed Tauqir Shah, and other senior government officials were also present during the meeting.
Pakistan, Canada to deepen political, economic collaboration
Earlier Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, held wide-ranging talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Monday, marking the first visit by a Canadian foreign minister to Pakistan in almost two decades.
Ishaq Dar received Ms Anand at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of Pakistan-Canada relations and discussed avenues for expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
They also exchanged views on key regional and international developments, reaffirming the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
The high-level meeting reflected a shared commitment by Islamabad and Ottawa to revitalise bilateral relations and deepen collaboration in political, economic and people-to-people spheres.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP, today in Islamabad.
The two sides reviewed recent developments in Pakistan–Canada bilateral relations and exchanged views… pic.twitter.com/0nb5L4UBXZ
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
Both sides underscored the value of strengthening institutional links and maintaining regular high-level contacts to promote mutually beneficial partnerships.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit represents a significant milestone in bilateral relations, signalling a renewed momentum in diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
The Foreign Office noted that Anand’s visit comes at a time when Pakistan and Canada are seeking to enhance engagement on issues of common interest, including trade, investment, regional stability and international cooperation.
As the first Canadian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in nearly 20 years, Anand’s trip is widely viewed as an important step towards reinvigorating bilateral ties and opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
