Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar arrived in London on Sunday ahead of his official visit to the United Kingdom from August 24 to 28, where he will hold meetings with British officials and the Pakistani community, the Foreign Office said. The DPM and FM will also meet International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez to discuss the issue of Pakistani crew members held by Somali pirates aboard the MT Honour 25 oil tanker.
The MT Honour 25, carrying 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, was hijacked by pirates near Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region on April 21. Families of the hostages have since voiced growing alarm, saying conditions on board have steadily deteriorated during the crew's captivity. The Foreign Office said the government was committed to securing the release of Pakistani nationals held by Somali pirates.
High Commissioner of Pakistan to the United Kingdom, Tipu Usman, received the deputy prime minister at London's Heathrow Airport. During the visit, Ishaq Dar will hold meetings with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and FCDO Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, as well as with other senior members of the UK government. He will also meet with Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey during his UK visit.
He will also engage with British parliamentarians and representatives of the British-Pakistani community. The visit comes around two months after the UK committed an additional 8 million pounds to support joint efforts with Pakistan to combat crime and illegal migration. In a statement on June 16, the British High Commission confirmed the commitment made by UK Minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hamish Falconer, during his visit to Islamabad.
According to the statement, the funding was aimed at strengthening border and visa systems and enhancing law enforcement capabilities against people smuggling and trafficking networks. The British High Commission said that the funding will also support the return of individuals with no right to remain in the UK and fund community-based programmes in high-risk areas to address the root causes of illegal migration. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke on Sunday with Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov from London. They discussed matters of mutual interest and the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in Kyrgyzstan. The two ministers reaffirmed the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the SCO Summit to further advance shared bilateral priorities.