Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand began her maiden official visit to Pakistan on Monday, marking the first time a Canadian foreign minister has visited the country in nearly 20 years.
Shortly after her arrival, Anand arrived at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad to commence talks with her Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar. The two top diplomats are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions covering the entire spectrum of Pakistan–Canada relations. The meetings will focus heavily on strengthening cooperation across trade, investment, education, and people-to-people exchanges, while also providing a forum to trade views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.
During her itinerary, Anand is also scheduled to hold high-level meetings with various Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan and Canada established formal diplomatic ties in 1947, a relationship currently supported by a diaspora of more than 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin living in Canada. Economic ties between the two nations remain active, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching approximately $1.2 billion in 2025. During that period, Pakistan’s exports to Canada totaled roughly $696 million, consisting largely of textiles and leather goods, while Canadian exports to Pakistan stood at nearly $500 million, primarily comprising agricultural products.
