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- March 25, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
According to the Foreign Office (FO), Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the importance of an early restart of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flights to the United Kingdom to “bolster linkages” during a phone conversation with his British counterpart David Cameron on Monday. Due to doubts regarding the validity of pilot licenses, the UK and several other nations suspended PIA’s aircraft operations in July 2020.
On Saturday, Dar declared that PIA flights to the UK would resume “in weeks, not months,” and he met with British government representatives in London over the weekend to discuss the national carrier’s prohibited flights. Dar encouraged UK officials to review the issue, and sources informed Dawn that it was discussed during his discussions. The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, called Dar today, according to a press release from the Foreign Office. The foreign minister requested that flights be resumed, citing the fact that it would strengthen ties even more given the sizeable Pakistani diaspora living in the United Kingdom.
Thanking Lord Cameron for his congratulations on the former’s appointment, FM Dar expressed his eagerness to collaborate closely with the UK government to further enhance bilateral ties. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral collaboration in the areas of climate change, people-to-people interactions, and trade and investment. The two ministers also spoke on the state of Gaza and Afghanistan, two significant regional issues. On mutually agreeable dates, Dar also extended an invitation to Lord Cameron to visit Pakistan.
The foreign minister emphasized the significance of the connection between Pakistan and the UK, stating that the two countries had long-standing, historic ties and broad cooperation. The FO stated that the foreign minister emphasized the need to finalize the Enhanced Strategic Partnership agreement as soon as possible to advance ties.