Pakistan says it's close to U.S. trade deal, Washington gives no timeline
Also Read | Pakistan says it held productive trade talks in Washington
"I think we are very close to finalising a deal with U.S. Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now," Mr. Dar said in a discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
"It's not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say (just) days," he said.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Washington has attempted to renegotiate trade agreements with many countries that he threatened with tariffs over what he calls unfair trade relations. Many economists dispute Mr. Trump's characterization.
The U.S. State Department and Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, in separate statements after Mr. Rubio's meeting with Mr. Dar, said the two stressed in their discussion the importance of expanding trade and ties in critical minerals and mining. A post by Mr. Rubio on X after the meeting and the State Department's statement mentioned no timeline for finalizing a trade deal.
The Pakistan Foreign Ministry also said Mr. Dar "appreciated the pivotal role" by Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio "in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire." The State Department statement did not mention India.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides. India disputes Mr. Trump's claims that the ceasefire resulted from his intervention and trade threats.
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