Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday held his inaugural telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the two top diplomats concurred on the necessity of resolving the issue of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces.
According to a statement released by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar engaged in a call and discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation with his US counterpart.
Furthermore, the US State Department also issued a statement regarding the high-level communication between the top officials of the two nations. “They (Rubio and Dar) discussed US reciprocal tariffs on Pakistan and how to make progress toward a fair and balanced trade relationship,” the State Department noted.
“The Secretary raised prospects for engagement on critical minerals and expressed interest in expanding commercial opportunities for US companies.”
The country has been grappling with a surge in terrorist attacks targeting law enforcement and security forces since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the departure of US forces.
Pakistan experienced a significant 42% increase in terror attacks in January 2025 compared to the preceding month, as indicated by data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
According to a 2022 report by the US Department of Defense, the US left behind military equipment valued at $7 billion in Afghanistan, which was swiftly seized by Taliban fighters as they took control of the country.
While US forces attempted to dismantle or destroy as much of their equipment as possible during the final weeks of their chaotic withdrawal, substantial amounts still fell into the hands of the Taliban in August 2021.
However, the Taliban have reportedly refused to return any of the military equipment and have urged the US to provide them with more advanced weaponry to combat Daesh.
During today’s call, the statement conveyed that Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the United States. “He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and counter-terrorism.”
Secretary Rubio echoed the desire to collaborate with Pakistan in trade and investment across various sectors, particularly critical minerals. He stated that cooperation in economy and trade would define the future relations between the two countries.
The foreign minister highlighted Pakistan’s successful efforts in combating terrorism during 2013-18, which resulted in significant economic and human losses for Pakistan.
Rubio also acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and expressed the US desire to further enhance counter-terrorism cooperation.
Both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and to collaborate to advance the shared interests of both countries.
The call occurred days after US President Donald Trump imposed a substantial 29% tariff on imports from Pakistan.
The nation of over 240 million people now faces a 29% tariff (set to commence on April 9th) on its exports to the US, a considerable increase from the 10% baseline that took effect on April 5th.
