ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday sought to clarify his recent remarks on the May 9 trials during a press briefing in Islamabad, while also outlining the outcomes of his latest foreign visits.
Dar said that during a session at American think tank The Atlantic, he was asked about the trials linked to the May 9 violence. “I made it clear that Pakistan has an independent judiciary, and such matters rest with the courts, not the government,” he said, dismissing what he described as a misunderstanding.
The foreign minister also detailed meetings with international counterparts, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where discussions covered Pakistan-India tensions and the Middle East crisis. He described his diplomatic missions since July as a “great achievement” that yielded “positive results.”
Among the key outcomes, Dar announced that the United Kingdom had lifted its ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with flights to resume in September. He also said the passport processing system at Pakistan’s High Commission in London had been streamlined into a single-window operation.
On regional connectivity, Dar highlighted the proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway line, noting that China had pledged support for financing.
He pointed to the signing of a framework agreement for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link in Kabul, which, along with a new Peshawar–Kabul highway, would be integrated into “CPEC 2.0.”
Turning to ties with Beijing, Dar described Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Islamabad as a milestone.
“Both sides formally launched CPEC 2.0, reaffirming our all-weather strategic partnership,” he said, adding that Pakistan would establish dedicated economic corridors in Karachi for Chinese businesses alongside ongoing projects in Gwadar.
