Pakistan’s current foreign minister is Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar — in office since March 2024 and, unusually, simultaneously serving as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister. This is his complete 2026 profile: who he is, how he got the job, what he has done with it, and why the appointment matters.
Quick answer: Mohammad Ishaq Dar has been Pakistan’s foreign minister since 11 March 2024 and deputy prime minister since 28 April 2024. A chartered accountant and four-time finance minister, the 76-year-old PML-N senator runs Pakistan’s diplomacy from the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
In this guide: Who Ishaq Dar is · How he became FM · His 2026 record · The dual role · FAQs
Who Is Ishaq Dar?
Born 13 May 1950 in Lahore, Mohammad Ishaq Dar is a chartered accountant who became the PML-N’s economic brain and, eventually, its most durable leader after the Sharif brothers. He served as finance minister four times (1998–99, 2008, 2013–17, 2022–23), spent years in London exile during corruption cases, and returned to frontline politics as a Senator. Full biography →
How He Became Foreign Minister
When Shehbaz Sharif formed his second government after the February 2024 election, the foreign affairs portfolio went to Dar on 11 March 2024 — a surprise to those who expected a career diplomat or a younger face. The logic: Dar’s decades of dealing with the IMF, Gulf capitals and Washington made him the cabinet’s most internationally connected figure. On 28 April 2024 he was additionally named Deputy Prime Minister. The deputy PM office explained →
His 2026 Record
Dar’s second full year as FM has been his busiest: a May 2026 Washington visit meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio; the SCO summit in Bishkek (August) alongside PM Shehbaz; UNGA 81 in New York (September) with bilaterals including Iran’s FM; announcing Asim Iftikhar Ahmad as the 34th Foreign Secretary; the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement committee meeting in Riyadh (October); receiving UN chief António Guterres in Islamabad (October); and co-chairing the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission. The full timeline is in our complete foreign minister guide.
The Dual Role: FM + Deputy PM
Holding foreign affairs and the deputy premiership together — styled DPM/FM — makes Dar the government’s second-in-command and its chief diplomat simultaneously. Critics call it over-concentration; supporters call it coherence: one man aligning Pakistan’s domestic economic management with its external economic diplomacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current foreign minister of Pakistan in 2026?
Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, in office since 11 March 2024. He also serves as Deputy Prime Minister.
How old is Ishaq Dar?
Born 13 May 1950, he is 76 years old as of October 2026.
Which party does Ishaq Dar belong to?
The Pakistan Muslim League (N) — he is among its most senior leaders and a Senator.
Who was foreign minister before Ishaq Dar?
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari (2022–23), then caretaker Jalil Abbas Jilani (2023–24).
