Pakistan’s foreign minister courts US investors

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with top investment, banking and IT professionals in New York, the Foreign Office said Thursday, as part of a diplomatic push to attract foreign investment and strengthen U.S.-Pakistan ties.

Dar highlighted Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators, including the country’s first current account surplus in 14 years, easing inflation, and recent upgrades in sovereign credit ratings by international agencies.

He also outlined strategic initiatives such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a high-level government body set up in 2023 to streamline investment processes and fast-track foreign direct investment.

Emphasizing Pakistan’s potential in fintech, digital banking, infrastructure, and sustainable finance, Dar pointed to rapid digitalization and reforms aimed at aligning Pakistan with global anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing (AML/CFT) standards. He said these steps are helping restore investor confidence.

Participants from institutions including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, BNP Paribas, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs held what officials described as “candid discussions” about Pakistan’s investment outlook. Several attendees expressed interest in private sector–led initiatives to support Pakistan’s economic growth and deepen U.S.-Pakistan commercial ties.

The meeting comes ahead of a planned Cabinet-level dialogue between Pakistan and the United States — the first since 2016. Dar is scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington during his visit from July 21 to 28.

The talks are expected to address a range of issues, including trade, regional security, counterterrorism cooperation, critical minerals, and renewed tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

India recently suspended a key dispute resolution mechanism under the Indus Waters Treaty, amid ongoing military confrontations along the Line of Control.

Series of high-level engagements

Dar’s visit follows a series of high-level engagements between Islamabad and Washington.

Last month, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir made a five-day trip to the United States that included a closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Earlier, a nine-member parliamentary delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited the U.S. and U.K. to rally support following regional tensions in May.

Dar had previously visited the U.S. earlier this year to participate in a high-level debate at the United Nations Security Council.

Pakistan currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of July — a position it assumed on July 1 as part of its 2025–26 term as a non-permanent member. Pakistan secured the seat with 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly.

Dar presided over a tense Security Council session Wednesday on the deteriorating situation in Gaza, warning that the world is witnessing “a genocide in Gaza, in full view of the international community — one that the UN seems unable or unwilling to stop.”

“Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives,” Dar said, adding that the Palestinian issue is a “litmus test for the credibility of the United Nations, the Security Council, and the integrity of international law.”