ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday stressed to British High Commissioner Jane Marriott the need for dialogue and diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East, the Foreign Office said.

The two officials met in Islamabad, where they also welcomed what was described as positive momentum in relations between Pakistan and the UK. They discussed upcoming engagements intended to broaden cooperation between the two countries.

In a statement on X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dar had “underscored the importance of efforts to ease tensions and reaffirmed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable way forward”.

High Commissioner Jane Marriott welcomes positive momentum in Pakistan-UK ties

Pakistan-Bahrain commission session

Separately, the foreign minister chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review preparations for the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission, which he will co-chair with his Bahraini counterpart next week.

Mr Dar directed government ministries to finalise their preparations and to pursue concrete outcomes during the Bahraini foreign minister’s forthcoming visit to Islamabad. The meeting heard a briefing from the secretary of the Economic Affairs Division on key areas of bilateral cooperation.

Tariq Bajwa, special assistant to the prime minister, and the acting foreign secretary were among the senior officials who attended.

Later in the day, the deputy PM led a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion and renovation of the Foreign Office Mosque. A spokesperson said the project would upgrade the site’s facilities and increase its capacity to accommodate a growing number of worshippers.

The acting foreign secretary, together with officers and officials of the foreign affairs ministry, attended the ceremony.

Mr Dar also chaired a high-level meeting on the development agenda for Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Offi­cials reviewed ongoing infrastructure and socio-economic initiatives, including road refurbishment projects, and discussed measures to strengthen administrative coordination.

The deputy prime minister stres­sed the importance of completing development projects on time and using financial resources efficiently.

He said this would support long-term growth and improve public welfare, in line with the directions of the prime ministers of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the aspirations of the people of the region.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026