Overview

• David Lammy met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on May 16, marking the first UK foreign secretary visit to Pakistan since 2021.
• The visit follows a US-brokered ceasefire after deadly clashes between India and Pakistan triggered by a terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in April.
• Lammy emphasized the UK's commitment to turning the fragile ceasefire into durable peace and countering terrorism in the region.
• Around 70 people, including civilians, died during four days of cross-border strikes and artillery exchanges, making it one of the most serious escalations in decades.
• The UK is leveraging its historic ties with both nations and its significant British-Indian and British-Pakistani diaspora to mediate and de-escalate tensions.