Pakistan says it's close to US trade deal, Washington gives no timeline

Indian Express

4 days ago

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday the United States and Pakistan were 'very close' to a trade deal that could come within days, but comments from the US after Dar met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned no timeline.
'I think we are very close to finalizing a deal with US 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,' 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 US 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 Trump's characterization.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, met with the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio @SecRubio, today in Washington D.C.
The two sides acknowledged the positive trajectory of the Pak-U.S. bilateral relations. They discussed and… pic.twitter.com/iGJdGI9YDj
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 25, 2025
The US State Department and Pakistan's foreign ministry, in separate statements after Rubio's meeting with Dar, said the two stressed in their discussion the importance of expanding trade and ties in critical minerals and mining. A post by Rubio on X after the meeting and the State Department's statement mentioned no timeline for finalizing a trade deal.
Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector. I also thanked him for Pakistan's partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional… pic.twitter.com/QZB9RZwIA8
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 25, 2025
The Pakistan foreign ministry also said Dar 'appreciated the pivotal role' by Trump and Rubio 'in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire.' The State Department statement did not mention India.
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 Trump's claims that the ceasefire resulted from his intervention and trade threats.
India's position is that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve problems directly with no outside involvement.
The April 22 terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 civilians, sparling heavy cross-border fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry.
India struck Pakistan on May 7 under 'Operation Sindoor' and the two nations exchanged hostilities, killing dozens across three days. The ceasefire was declared on May 10.
New Delhi blamed the April attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility and called for a neutral investigation. Washington condemned the attack but did not blame Islamabad.