ISLAMABAD — In the first visit by a Canadian Foreign Minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades, Anita Anand wrapped up a high-level trip to Islamabad on Monday, announcing more than $47 million in new Canadian assistance for development, security, and climate resilience initiatives.
During her one-day stay, Foreign Minister Anand held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Nearly two decades have passed since a Canadian Foreign Minister last visited Pakistan. Since then, bilateral trade has grown, Canada’s commercial interests have expanded and new opportunities have emerged to work together on regional security and economic growth.
At Canada’s… pic.twitter.com/mC9ovLytks
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) July 20, 2026
Breakdown of Canadian Financial Assistance ($47M+)
The funding package focuses on both strategic security cooperation and grassroots socioeconomic projects:
| Sector | Funding | Key Operational Focus & Delivery Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Development Assistance | $45.0 Million | Climate resilience, girls’ education, reproductive health, family planning, and flood recovery via partnerships with the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, UNDP, and UNFPA. |
| Security & Law Enforcement | $2.2 Million | Border management, counterterrorism, financial crime investigation, and capacity training via Interpol, UNODC, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). |
Expanding Trade & Agriculture Horizons
The two sides agreed to fast-track the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) to create greater regulatory certainty for investors. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar invited Canadian companies to explore opportunities in key sectors such as mining, renewable energy, IT, agriculture, and infrastructure.
At a signing ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ministers Dar and Anand formalised a new phytosanitary import protocol for Canadian food, feed, and processing (FFP) genetically modified canola. The move comes after Pakistan imported more than 470,000 tonnes of Canadian canola in the previous crop year.
