‘Very Close To US Trade Deal': Pakistan Jumps The Gun As Washington Maintains Silence
Pakistan's Ishaq Dar met Marco Rubio in the US and claimed that both countries were "very close" to finalising a trade deal. However, no such timeline was given by the US.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that his country and the United States were 'very close" to a trade deal, and it could be 'just days" before it's finalised. However, Washington did not issue any timeline for the same and maintained dead silence on Dar's claims.
'I think we are very close to finalizing a deal with the 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, news agency Reuters reported.
'It's not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say (just) days," he said.
US President Donald Trump has imposed hefty tariffs on several countries, prompting nations to carry out trade negotiations with the US. He has so far announced trade deals with the UK, Indonesia, and Japan.
Separate statements from the US State Department and Pakistan's foreign ministry after Marco Rubio's meeting with Dar said that the two sides discussed expanding trade and ties in critical minerals and mining. However, neither the State Department's statement nor Rubio's post on X mentioned any timeline for finalising or announcing a trade deal with Pakistan.
'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 stability," Rubio tweeted.
The Pakistani foreign ministry also said that its leader 'appreciated the pivotal role" of Trump and Rubio 'in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire." However, the US State Department statement had no mention of India.
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