Pakistan's top diplomat to embark on 5-day official visit to UK

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to the United Kingdom on Monday for a five-day official visit to hold talks with British counterpart Ed Miliband, Islamabad's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. The visit, scheduled to run through Aug. 28, forms part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two Commonwealth nations.

Talks with British leadership

During his stay in London, Dar will hold talks with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments, the ministry stated in a press release. He is also scheduled to meet Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to review Islamabad's engagement with the 56-member organization and multilateral priorities.

Maritime security on agenda

The foreign minister will meet the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization to address the detention of Pakistani crew members held by pirates aboard a cargo vessel off the coast of Puntland, Somalia. The meeting underscores Islamabad's efforts to secure the release of its nationals amid ongoing piracy threats in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.

Parliamentary and community ties

Dar is also scheduled to meet with British parliamentarians and representatives of the British-Pakistani community, one of the largest diaspora groups in Europe, during his five-day stay in the British capital. The delegation will conclude its program on Aug. 28 before returning to Islamabad.