Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Islamabad for high-level talks. PHOTO:
Pakistan and Canada held high-level talks in Islamabad on Monday as Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand made the first bilateral visit to Pakistan by a Canadian foreign minister in almost two decades. Both sides described the move as an important step towards strengthening ties, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The statement said that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted his Canadian counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two leaders held talks on “the overall Pakistan-Canada bilateral relations”, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 welcomed Canadian Foreign Minister HE Anita Anand @AnitaAnandMP on her arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad today.
The two leaders speak fully… pic.twitter.com/JI4LrfwEdU
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 20, 2026
According to the statement, Anand’s visit is his first to Pakistan since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a Canadian foreign minister in nearly 20 years. Calling the visit an “important milestone in Pakistan-Canada relations,” the Foreign Ministry said it underlines “the determination of both sides to further strengthen bilateral engagement.”
He added that the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in a range of sectors while providing both countries with the opportunity to exchange views on issues of common interest.
In an earlier statement, the Foreign Office had said that Anita would also appeal to Pakistani leaders. “Anita is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit highlights the two countries’ shared commitment to expanding mutual cooperation,” said Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
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GAC noted that “Canada-Pakistan relations are underpinned by close people-to-people ties, with more than 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin in Canada and approximately 20,000 Canadians in Pakistan.” Additionally, he noted that in 2025, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Pakistan totaled approximately $1.2 billion, including $499.7 million – up 65% since 2024 – in Canadian exports to Pakistan and $696 million in imports.
In June 2026, Canada hosted the second round of negotiations for a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with Pakistan.
Canada pursues a broad range of interests in its bilateral relationship with Pakistan, including in the areas of trade and investment, climate resilience, energy security and critical minerals, people-to-people ties, governance and democracy, human rights, development cooperation, regional security and defence, counter-terrorism and building anti-crime capacity.
