By Staff reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a new international peace forum in Washington, where the two discussed deepening cooperation on minerals, energy and counter-terrorism as Islamabad seeks more American investment to shore up its economy.
The meeting came after the inaugural session of the Board of Peace, a Trump administration initiative aimed at stabilizing Gaza and potentially other conflict zones, with the United States thanking Pakistan for its support as a founding member. In a post on X, Rubio said he appreciated Pakistan’s backing of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and its role in the board. “In our meeting, we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship on critical minerals development and counterterrorism,” he wrote.
A State Department readout said Rubio offered condolences for recent attacks in Pakistan, including blasts in Balochistan on Jan. 31 and in Islamabad on Feb. 6, and stressed the need for ongoing counter-terrorism partnership. Sharif, joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, congratulated Rubio and Trump on the board’s launch and pledged Pakistan’s help in carrying out the Gaza plan, according to a statement from his office.
The two sides voiced satisfaction with the upward trend in relations under Trump and committed to expanding trade, economic links and security collaboration, the statement added. Sharif underlined the value of regular high-level talks to pursue joint objectives amid global shifts. Dar replied to Rubio’s X post, thanking him for “productive discussions on key areas of mutual interest” and affirming Pakistan’s desire to bolster ties in peace promotion, counter-terrorism and economic relations.
Separately, Sharif urged US International Development Finance Corporation CEO Benjamin Black to visit Pakistan soon to scout investment prospects in energy, minerals, agriculture and IT. He spotlighted Pakistan’s strengthening economic indicators and reform drive, while inviting the DFC to an April minerals summit in Islamabad, his office said. Sharif commended the DFC’s work in spurring private-sector partnerships for jobs and growth. The discussions build on a July 2025 trade pact with tariff cuts and an October shipment of Pakistani rare earth minerals to the U.S. under a $500 million deal between U.S. Strategic Metals and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization, aimed at building out the mineral supply chain.
Addressing the Board of Peace, Sharif called his involvement an honor and reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to enduring Gaza peace, terming the gathering a “golden chapter in history” for Middle East stability. He urged halting ceasefire breaches to safeguard lives and rebuild, insisting Palestinians gain full sovereignty per UN resolutions. Sharif lauded Trump’s “untiring support and great efforts” in pursuing Gaza peace as a defining achievement.
He also thanked Trump for mediating a brief Pakistan-India flare-up in May 2025, hailing him as “a man of peace” and “a saviour of South Asia” for heading off wider catastrophe. Trump, in his speech, recounted phoning leaders in Islamabad and New Delhi to warn that continued clashes would kill trade talks and trigger 200% tariffs. “I called them and said I am not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up,” he said.Trump noted a prior meeting with Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir, dubbing the latter a “tough, serious fighter” and adding: “I like this man [PM Shehbaz] of Pakistan.”
On the margins, Sharif shared handshakes and a hug with Trump in a notably friendly encounter, and chatted with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto about regional and world matters.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a video, said Pakistan got an “extraordinary reception” with Trump’s nod to its peace contributions elevating its international standing. Trump floated the board in September 2025 alongside his Gaza truce blueprint, later broadening its scope to global disputes. A mid-November 2025 U.N. Security Council resolution greenlit the board to aid an international force in Gaza post an October ceasefire, though violations have persisted. The U.S. acts as the board’s custodian, headquartered at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Pakistan’s board seat underscores its push on Gaza peacebuilding and wider diplomacy, per Sharif’s office. The trip highlights Islamabad’s bid to revive U.S. economic engagement, with stepped-up dialogue on trade, resources, security and regional calm.
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