A statement posted by the FO on social media said that Sarwar called on FM Dar at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad.

The foreign minister commended Sarwar’s efforts to promote regional cooperation and “reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the Saarc process”, the statement said.

Dar underscored the need for a “revitalised Saarc, guided by the principles of its charter, to advance regional connectivity, sustainable development, and the collective well-being” of South Asia, while highlighting the region’s demographic and economic potential.

Meanwhile, the secretary general thanked the foreign minister for Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional and global peace and appreciated the country’s consistent support for Saarc and its institutions.

FM Dar wished Sarwar success as he concluded his tenure as secretary general and “conveyed his best wishes for his future endeavours”, the FO added.

Saarc, an eight-member association, has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly regarding the hosting of its summits. The core issue stems from escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, two of its major members.

No Saarc summit has taken place since 2014. The 19th summit, scheduled to be held in 2016 in Islamabad, could not go ahead after India pulled out, blaming Pakistan for an attack on its army brigade in Uri, a town in occupied Kashmir.

Under the Saarc charter, a meeting of the heads of government cannot be held if any one of the member states does not join.

FM congratulates new ambassador-designate to Nepal

Separately, the foreign minister also met with Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Nepal, Aamir Khan, congratulating him on his appointment, the FO said in a post on X.

He “underscored the importance of further strengthening Pakistan-Nepal relations by enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchanges”, the statement said.

It added that FM Dar encouraged Khan to work closely with both Nepal’s leaders and its business community to “unlock new avenues of economic collaboration”.

In addition, he appreciated Khan’s dedicated services as Director General (Americas) at the foreign ministry, wishing him “every success” in his new assignment, the FO said.

Last week, the Privatisation Commission Board reviewed the terms of a transaction advisory services agreement (TASA) with the lender and gave its approval.

The TASA was signed by Privatisation Commission Director General Shahid Dayo and ADB Country Director Emma Fan, an official announcement said.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation and Privatisation Commission Chairman Muhammad Ali, Privatisation Commission Secretary Usman Akhtar Bajwa, Privatisation Division Secretary Hammad Shamimi and ADB Deputy Country Director Syed Hussain Haider witnessed the signing.

Under the agreement, ADB would provide comprehensive transaction advisory services, including technical, financial, legal, environmental and commercial expertise, to support the structuring and implementation of the transaction in accordance with international best practices.

“The advisory services will facilitate a transparent, competitive and market-driven process aimed at attracting leading international airport operators and investors,” the Privatisation Commission said.

The agreement marked an important milestone in the implementation of the government’s privatisation programme to improve the efficiency, service quality and long-term sustainability of Islamabad International Airport through private sector participation, while ensuring transparency, competitiveness and value for the people of Pakistan.

“The outsourcing process is expected to be completed within nine months, while the due diligence phase is expected to conclude within three months”, a senior privatisation commission official told a Senate panel on Tuesday.

Separately, a single financial advisor will be appointed for the outsourcing of Karachi and Lahore International Airports, with preparatory work already underway, he said.

The agreement with the ADB marks the first instance in which a multilateral organisation will assist a privatisation transaction in the country.

In February, the board formed a negotiation committee to engage with the ADB and discuss terms for a financial advisory services agreement, which then finalised a revised draft agreement with certain modifications entailing indemnity protections to the ADB to avoid litigation as a multilateral agency.

The board also expressed confidence that the ADB, with its expertise and experience, would be able to successfully complete this important transaction swiftly while ensuring maximum competition and transparency.

Islamabad International Airport will be outsourced to a qualified private sector operator under a long-term concession framework through a competitive bidding process. The privatisation is expected to enhance operational efficiency, improve passenger experience and align airport services with international best practices.

The government is targeting the privatisation of the airport during the current fiscal year.

The contract appointing ADB as transaction adviser was revised with certain changes to its terms and conditions, including indemnity clauses due to its multilateral status. The negotiated terms of the contract proposed by the Privatisation Commission were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation.

The process for hiring financial advisers for outsourcing international airports in Karachi and Lahore would begin immediately, as previous government-to-government discussions had not progressed as expected.

Both airports were expected to attract more than $500 million each in fresh investment, Ali told Dawn a few days ago.

The board also approved the appointment of chartered accountancy firm BDO Ebrahim and Company as external auditors for the three financial years from 2025–26 to 2027–28, on the recommendation of the board’s Audit Committee.

It resolved to continue ensuring transparency, efficiency and the maintenance of high standards to further strengthen investor confidence in the government’s privatisation programme, according to an official statement.

In June 2024, the government made privatisation its key priority and directed that Islamabad International Airport be outsourced first.

Chaudhry said Islamabad had received the mine operator’s security concerns in early July and ordered agencies to increase deployment around its installations, personnel and cargo.

“We have directed the provincial authorities and all concerned security agencies to beef up deployment for all of their installations, personnel, logistics and transportation,” Chaudhry told Reuters.

“It is our priority to safeguard all projects run by international companies in Pakistan,” he said, adding that logistics and cargo shipments to the site would receive additional security protection.

Separately, Saindak Metals Limited’s Managing Director Raziq Sanjrani refuted the contents of a report published by the Financial Times, which claimed that he had warned the energy ministry that operations could become unsustainable within a month because deteriorating security conditions were disrupting supply routes.

China’s foreign ministry said it was unaware of the situation but that Beijing would work with its close partner Pakistan to protect Chinese citizens, projects and institutions in the country.

The Saindak mine is operated by the state-owned Metallurgical Corporation of China’s Resources Development Company (MRDL) under a lease extended in 2022.

In February, MDRL reported the the company achieved major milestones at the Saindak project in 2025 through scientific planning and organised execution, setting historic records in production and operations while strengthening its safety systems.

Tan Jin, president of MRDL, said the company’s operational performance reached new heights and the Pakistan-China partnership has grown even stronger.

Declaring 2026 a year of new goals and responsibilities, Jin said MRDL would open a new chapter of growth through innovation, higher standards and improved performance. He also emphasised the company’s commitment to social responsibility.