Dar calls for charter-driven revitalised SAARC for regional connectivity, sustainable development

• DPM/FM Dar commends SAARC Secretary General's efforts to promote regional cooperation

• SAARC SG lauds Pakistan's consistent support and constructive role in promoting regional peace

• FM urges due recognition for deserving overseas Pakistanis as Civil Awards review remains transparent and merit-based

 ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called for revitalising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in line with the organisation's founding Charter to strengthen regional connectivity, promote sustainable development and improve the collective well-being of the people of South Asia.

The deputy prime minister highlighted South Asia's immense demographic and economic potential and reiterated Pakistan's steadfast commitment to the SAARC process during a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Md. Golam Sarwar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Foreign Office in post on X.

Secretary General of SAARC, H.E. Md. Golam Sarwar, called on Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad today.

DPM/FM commended the Secretary General’s efforts to promote regional cooperation and… pic.twitter.com/acbuupXgJF

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 14, 2026

During the meeting, Dar commended the Secretary General's efforts to promote regional cooperation and emphasised the importance of reinvigorating SAARC in accordance with the principles enshrined in its Charter to advance regional integration and shared prosperity.

The Secretary General expressed appreciation for Pakistan's consistent support for SAARC and its institutions and thanked the deputy prime minister for Pakistan's constructive role in promoting regional and global peace.

Dar wished the Secretary General success towards the conclusion of his tenure and conveyed his best wishes for his future endeavours.

Dar stresses due recognition for deserving overseas Pakistanis

In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar emphasised that the conferment of Civil Awards remained a transparent, fair and strictly merit-based process aimed at recognising individuals who had rendered outstanding services to Pakistan.

Chairing a meeting to review nominations for the conferment of Civil Awards, Dar also stressed the importance of ensuring due recognition for deserving overseas Pakistanis in acknowledgement of their valuable contributions to the country, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 chaired a meeting today to review nominations for the conferment of Civil Awards.

DPM/FM emphasized that the conferment of Civil Awards remains a transparent, fair, and strictly merit-based process,… pic.twitter.com/ZGyYGdMmAO

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 14, 2026

The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch, the Cabinet Secretary and senior officials from the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.

Earlier, FM Ishaq Dar on Monday met Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, a candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, and reiterated Pakistan's unwavering support for the central role of the United Nations in international affairs.

During the interaction, the deputy prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan's longstanding commitment to multilateralism and to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

H.E. Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett @CarolynRB1, Candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, called on the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism… pic.twitter.com/cN7OtwSwMM

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 13, 2026

He underscored the need to ensure respect for international law and treaties and called for the faithful implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly in the context of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the situation in Palestine.

The deputy prime minister also stressed the need to adapt the United Nations to emerging global challenges while addressing the priorities and development needs of developing countries.