ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, will undertake an official visit to the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday to hold with top officials and to launch a land record project for the Pakistani diaspora, the Pakistani foreign office said on Saturday.
In London, Dar will hold meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pakistan Hamish Falconer, in addition to a breakfast meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
The deputy prime minister will also engage with British parliamentarians and Kashmiri leaders during his visit, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister will also inaugurate a Punjab Land Record Authority’s project, piloted at the Pakistan High Commission, London,” it said. “The initiative aims to assist members of the diaspora in resolving land documentation issues in Pakistan remotely.”
The UK is one of Pakistan’s largest bilateral development partners, with cooperation spanning education, health, climate resilience, governance reform and trade. It is home to one of the largest Pakistani diasporas, estimated at over 1.6 million people, who contribute significantly to remittances, business and cultural links.
These Pakistani expatriates often complain of prolonged procedures relating to sale, purchase, transfer and settlement of disputes relating to their lands back home. The initiative is likely to streamline processes to facilitate Pakistanis living in the UK.
The governments in Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces have also saved billions of rupees and unlocked significant new resources for development under a landmark British-backed governance program that concluded this year, according to the British High Commission.
The UK’s Sub-National Governance Program, which ran from 2019 to 2025, worked with provincial authorities to improve planning, budgeting and revenue mobilization. The program unlocked over £1.9 billion ($2.41 billion) in public finance, allowing savings to be reinvested into other public services.
“This program shows what is possible when strong partnerships come together to support long-term reform, changing people’s lives,” British High Commission Development Director Sam Waldock said on Aug. 13.
“We’ve strengthened institutions, improved service delivery, and helped Pakistan unlock more of its resources to finance its own development. That has led to direct improvements to the day to day lives of millions — from helping people to access essential cash assistance, to creating waste management systems which makes their surroundings cleaner and more hygienic.”
Last month, Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) decided to form a new business advisory council as officials from both countries met in London at the inaugural UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue.
The council will bring together senior business leaders and government officials to provide strategic advice on policy reform, offer a confidential forum for engagement, and help promote commercial opportunities by addressing market access challenges and sharing best practices.
