Rubio, Dar discuss bilateral, regional matters

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and exchanged views on current regional and international issues, The Foreign Office said in statement on Monday.

The Foreign Office said that during the telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral matters and exchanged views on current regional and international issues. Both sides also agreed to remain in contact and continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest, it added.

The phone call comes amid a series of high-level engagements between the two countries.

In June, US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for an unprecedented lunch at the White House, where the two sides discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and other strategic issues. Trump thanked him for helping to avert a war with India.

The meeting followed a Trump-brokered ceasefire in May between Pakistan and India after a four-day military clash.

The heaviest fighting in decades between India and Pakistan was sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.

New Delhi blamed the incident on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Pakistan conducted Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response to the Indian military's dastardly attacks that began on the night of May 6 and 7, resulting in the loss of innocent civilian lives, including women, children, and the elderly.