Pakistan and Canada, during a meeting in Islamabad between Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar and Canadian Minister for Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, reaffirmed importance of bilateral consultations for advancing shared priorities and exploring new avenues for strategic collaboration, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
Both the sides noted the successful holding of the sixth round of bilateral consultations in February 2026. Ishaq Dar received Anita Anand at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a one-on-one meeting and detailed talks that covered broad contours of bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest. Noting the renewed momentum in bilateral engagement, both the sides expressed shared resolve to strengthen bilateral relations through increased trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
Ishaq Dar provided an update on Pakistan’s mediation efforts regarding the ongoing conflict in the region. The visiting minister thanked Pakistan for its mediation role that culminated in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. Both the sides underscored the need for sustainable ceasefire and for upholding commitments under the memorandum. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue their cooperation to help address global challenges and promote peace and prosperity.
They underscored importance of expanding cooperation through stronger economic, academic, and institutional linkages. Recognizing contributions of over 300,000 Pakistani diaspora and over 9,000 Pakistani students in Canada, the two ministers re-affirmed the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties, cultural exchanges and tourism and further improving mobility between Pakistan and Canada. They acknowledged the value of parliamentary exchanges and agreed to encourage cooperation between their respective legislatures.
Ishaq Dar and Anita Anand emphasized the importance of trade and investment as a key driver for mutual prosperity and economic resilience. They welcomed progress towards a Pakistan-Canada Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA) and emphasized importance of regular engagement with the aim to conclude negotiations at the earliest. Both the sides agreed to revive the Pakistan-Canada Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment.
They took note of Canadian investment in Pakistan and discussed importance of diversifying business-to-business opportunities in priority sectors, including clean energy, mining and critical minerals, infrastructure, agriculture, emerging technologies, and environment protection and sustainability. Recognizing strategic importance of energy security and diversifying energy supply, the two ministers agreed to encourage increased investments in the renewable energy sector, including solar, wind, and battery storage technologies.
The ministers noted that a Canadian company’s successful bid for 240mw Dhabeji Hybrid Wind-Solar project, in partnership with K-Electric, has now received necessary regulatory approvals. This major investment will contribute to Pakistan’s renewable energy supply. The ministers agreed on the importance of food safety and food supply with predictable market access. They appreciated increased two-way trade in agriculture, including canola and oil seeds, lentils, soybeans, cereals, rice, spices and fruit, and a focus on agri-food value chains, agri-tech solutions, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary standards and regulations.
In this spirit, the ministers signed a new protocol establishing predictable phytosanitary import conditions for Canadian canola. Pakistan’s National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority and Environment Protection Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will also explore opportunities for technical cooperation and capacity building. The ministers underscored strategic importance of critical minerals for global supply chains. Recognizing Pakistan’s mineral potential and Canada’s expertise in ‘responsible’ mining, both the sides agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment across the mining value chain, including exploration and services, and recognized value of engagement in mining industry events.
Anita Anand extended an invitation to Ishaq Dar to attend the 2027 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference. As per the information, the world’s premier mineral exploration and mining convention will take place from March 7-10 in Toronto. The convention brings together an ever-growing audience of more than 32,000 attendees from over 140 countries for its educational programming, networking events, and business opportunities. Since it began in 1932, the annual convention has grown in size, stature and influence.
Both the sides expressed satisfaction at the close cooperation between Pakistan and Canada in multilateral for a, including the United Nations, and agreed to continue advancing their cooperation. The two ministers discussed regional peace and security challenges, including their impacts on civilians and the economy. They exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and the ongoing threat of terrorism. They agreed to further strengthen security sector collaboration in the areas of counterterrorism and combating transnational organized crime.
Anita Anand announced that Canada will continue to support Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts via different projects through the UN, Interpol and other organizations. Recognizing the challenges of climate change and poverty, she announced development assistance projects in the areas of education, climate resilience, and health. The two ministers agreed that the Pakistan-Canada relationship has entered a new era of opportunity. They look forward to increased bilateral engagement. Both the sides underscored the importance of sustained high-level exchanges and agreed to review progress annually.
Separately, the visiting Canadian minister called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House, and conveyed good wishes of Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney for the prime minister and said that her visit was on the instructions of her prime minister to expand Ottawa’s relations with Islamabad. She thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome accorded to her and her delegation in Islamabad. Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and Canada enjoyed friendly ties that needed to be further expanded.
He conveyed his greetings and best wishes for Prime Minister Mark Carney and said that he looked forward to meeting him soon. He fondly recalled the telephone conversation with his Canadian counterpart in April, and thanked Ottawa for supporting Islamabad’s regional peace efforts. On the bilateral front, the Canadian minister expressed the keen desire of her government to explore new opportunities for trade and cooperation, especially in the field of agriculture, mining, energy as well as in the auto and auto parts industry.
In this regard, she said that the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would be instrumental in enhancing Canadian investors’ confidence to invest in Pakistan. Both the sides agreed that the Pakistani Canadian community was acting as a bridge between the two nations. The two sides agreed to exchange delegations in the fields of trade and minerals cooperation, to explore mutually beneficial opportunities, with a view to further enhance bilateral trade and investment prospects. After the meeting, the prime minister witnessed the signing of a protocol on phytosanitary regulations governing the import of canola from Canada to Pakistan.
Anita Anand also called on Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security and bilateral relations were discussed, according to a news release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). Field Marshal Asim Munir highlighted Pakistan’s perspective on global peace and regional stability underscoring the importance of cooperation and collaborative efforts to address common security challenges. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s ongoing efforts and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, as well as its constructive role in promoting peace and stability.
In a post on X, Anita Anand said that trade between Pakistan and Canada has grown, Canada’s commercial interests have expanded and new opportunities have emerged for the two countries to work together on regional security and economic growth. “Nearly two decades have passed since a Canadian foreign minister last visited Pakistan,” she said. “At Canada’s High Commission in Islamabad, I planted a commemorative tree to mark this renewed engagement and the growing ambition behind our relationship. I also had the opportunity to thank the Canadian and locally engaged staff whose dedication and expertise advance Canada’s interests in Pakistan every day.”
In another post, she said that the Canadian company JCM Power was already helping supply Pakistan’s electricity grid through its 50-megawatt wind farm in Sindh, where 29 turbines generate clean electricity across the region. The company will soon build on that work through its 240-megawatt Dhabeji hybrid wind-solar project with Karachi Electric. “CEO John Bahen and I discussed how this next phase of investment will expand power generation, strengthen Pakistan’s clean energy sector and support a more reliable energy system. Projects like these show how Canadian companies can advance renewable solutions and create new investment opportunities between our countries,” she added.
