Pakistan-India tensions: DPM Dar leaves for China to hold high-level talks

ISLAMABAD, MAY 19 (DNA):Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has departed for Beijing on a three-day official visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday.

The visit comes at a time of heightened diplomatic engagement between Pakistan and China in the wake of ongoing tensions with India following the recent standoff over Pahalgam incident.

Discussions during the upcoming meetings expected to cover a range of bilateral and regional issues.

In Beijing, the DPM will hold comprehensive talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as other senior Chinese officials, including key members of the Chinese Communist Party. The meetings will focus on recent regional developments and the multifaceted Pakistan-China relationship.

The ministry noted that the visit is part of ongoing high-level exchanges and reflects the continued strength of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two brotherly countries.

In an earlier statement regarding the visit, the MOFA said that DPM Dar had been invited by his Chinese counterpart Wang.

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is also set to arrive in China on May 20 to join a trilateral meeting between the leaders from the three countries.

During the recent escalation with India, China voiced its support for Pakistan with Chinese ambassador reaffirming the “enduring and time-tested friendship between China and Pakistan”, describing the relationship as one of “ironclad brothers” who have always supported each other in challenging times.

Pakistan armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.

The strikes, described by officials as “precise and proportionate”, were carried out in response to India’s continued aggression across the Line of Control (LoC) and within Pakistan’s territory, which New Delhi claimed were aimed at “terrorist targets”.

Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war, provoked by India, ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

According to ISPR, a total of 53 individuals, including 13 personnel of the armed forces and 40 civilians, were martyred in Indian strikes during the recent military confrontation.

The military confrontation between the two countries was triggered by last month’s attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that left 26 tourists dead, with India blaming Pakistan for the attack without offering any evidence.