Key points
- State Department’s Tammy Bruce confirms high-level meeting with senior officials from both sides
- This will be Deputy PM Dar’s first official meeting with Secretary Rubio
- Dar is expected to thank Trump for easing Pakistan-India tensions
- Meeting occurs amid ongoing Indian aggression and Indus Waters Treaty suspension
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is poised to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 25 in Washington, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has confirmed.
The meeting, Dar’s first with Rubio, comes at a critical juncture for South Asian stability and is already drawing international attention for what it might signal.
While official agendas remain under wraps, diplomatic insiders say Dar is expected to carry a message of gratitude for President Donald Trump, who was formally recommended by Pakistan for the Nobel Peace Prize last month. The reason? His quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy helped cool the flames of the recent border conflict between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan.
“Senior leadership from both countries will be present,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed on Tuesday, adding that she would personally attend the high-level meeting. “We see this as part of a growing dialogue focused on peace, prosperity, and mutual respect.”
Following Pahalgam incident, tensions between India and Pakistan erupted into open hostilities. In early May, Indian jets launched strikes on Pakistani territory, triggering a violent exchange of air raids, drone attacks, and artillery fire that brought both countries to the brink before a hastily brokered ceasefire stopped the spiral.
President Trump, played a role in facilitating that truce. His intervention, described as “quiet but decisive” by regional diplomats, prompted Islamabad to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in June — a bold gesture signed personally by Dar and submitted to the Nobel Committee in Oslo.
India, however, dismissed Trump’s involvement and outright rejected any talk of third-party mediation — a long-standing position reinforced by New Delhi’s unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty negotiations and continued aggression along the contested Line of Control.
Beyond conflict: A broader agenda in Washington
Dar’s Washington visit is expected to touch on a wide array of issues beyond the battlefield. Sources close to the delegation say trade, economic ties, and U.S. investment in Pakistan’s emerging sectors — including tech, energy, and mineral development — will be part of the dialogue. A senior diplomat hinted at early-stage talks on a framework for long-term economic cooperation.
But make no mistake: the shadow of Kashmir looms large. “The meeting may not produce immediate resolutions, but it can reset the tone,” said a former U.S. diplomat. “The fact that this dialogue is happening at all is itself a signal that neither side wants to return to the era of strategic silence.”
For Dar, the meeting is also a chance to reinforce Pakistan’s image as a responsible regional actor committed to peace through diplomacy. His ongoing trip, which began in New York with Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Security Council, has already included key addresses on multilateralism, peaceful conflict resolution, and the Palestinian cause.
A test of intentions
Whether the Dar-Rubio meeting yields breakthrough agreements or simply lays the groundwork for future talks, it arrives at a moment of testing for U.S. foreign policy, for South Asian peace, and for Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach under renewed global scrutiny.
