FinMin Aurangzeb set for US trip to finalise tariff deal, confirms Dar

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NEW YORK: Pakistan hopes to reach a tariff agreement with the United States in the next few days as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Finance Minister Mohammed Aurangzeb will travel to Washington soon to finalize the deal, after which he spoke with US officials.

The Minister said that his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was extremely constructive.

Addressing a press conference in New York, Dar said that while talking to US officials, Pakistan presented its stand that sustainable peace in the region was unacceptable without meaningful dialogue.

Dar added that trade and taxes were also discussed with US officials, and expressed hope that a formal agreement could be terminated in the coming days.

He also revealed that traveling to Washington soon to finalize the finance minister’s arrangements.

He added that he had also talked with Rubio on the telephone early in the day.

Considering the wider consequences of the US visit, Dar termed it “successful in the board”, adding that Pakistan has engaged in open talks on bilateral and regional developments.

He said that on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, he held eight bilateral meetings, including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Kuwait and Palestine.

Referring to relations with India, the Deputy Prime Minister said that any potential engagement with New Delhi would need to be comprehensive in nature. He revealed that a hotline was activated on May 10, which provided a ceasefire between the two countries.

He said, “If we have to talk to India, it should all be covered,” he said, whenever India indicates its consent, they reiterate Pakistan’s preparations to resume comprehensive conversation.

Dar issued a strong warning against any attempt to unilaterally divert the flow of water from the allotted rivers to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Agreement. “We are not ready to give up a drop of water,” he said, adding that any such move will be shown aggression.

He reiterated that Pakistan maintains the rights of three rivers under the agreement and that any one -sided amendments from India will not be acceptable. He expressed confidence in Pakistan’s legal status at the International Arbitration Forum.

On domestic economic issues, Dar said that while Pakistan has a total burden on external debt of $ 130 billion, the country has more than $ 6,000 billion in mineral resources.

He highlighted the need for transparent and regular exploitation of these reserves, ensuring that the money was equally distributed for the federal government and the rest of the provinces.

He added that the extraction of responsible minerals would create job opportunities for the local communities, but emphasized that such projects would have to follow the standard of legal and procedures.

In response to a question about Afghanistan, Dar said he had visited Kabul on April 19 and spoke to the caretaker ministers. h

E confirmed that these decisions were implemented by April 20. They shed light. He highlighted that a possible link between Pakistan and Afghanistan could significantly enhance Pakistan’s relations with global markets.

Dar also cited the recent slogans of “Thanks to Pakistan” in the Iranian parliament, and praised the efforts of Pakistan’s armed forces, headed by Field Marshal Asim Munir in maintaining regional peace.

He condemned the recent provocative statements of Indian officials, saying that Pakistan was on high alert in response. He also highlighted that a joint parliamentary resolution about India has been approved with the support of Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI).

However, he made it clear that the legal proceedings regarding the PTI founder remained within the jurisdiction of the courts and that there was no case for government interference.