A State Department contractor adjusts a Pakistan national flag before a meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on the sidelines of the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism at the State Department in Washington February 19, 2015 Photo: Reuters
ISLAMABAD:
A high-level Senate delegation led by Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan will pay an official visit to the United States from January 20 to 25, 2026, the Senate Secretariat announced on Tuesday, against the backdrop of a broader thaw in Pakistan-US relations over the past year.
The Secretariat described the visit as a “historic milestone” in Pak-US parliamentary relations, marking the “beginning of a new institutional chapter in bilateral engagement”.
The delegation’s visit comes after 2025 saw renewed high-level engagement between Islamabad and Washington, alongside strategic recalibrations and shifting regional dynamics in South Asia and the Middle East.
According to the Senate Secretariat, the visit has been organised under the auspices of the Pakistan Policy Institute USA and will, for the first time, include the United StatesPakistan Inter-Parliamentary Group.
The Secretariat termed this inclusion a “major achievement of strategic and non-traditional parliamentary diplomacy”, saying it “reflects a shared commitment to strengthening democratic institutions through direct engagement between elected legislatures”.
The statement said the initiative comes at a “critical juncture” of global and regional transformation, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East, and will be undertaken with clearly defined strategic objectives.
Chief among these is the “establishment of a permanent institutional mechanism” for sustained inter-parliamentary dialogue between the US Congress and the Senate of Pakistan.
“The delegation aims to promote democratic values, exchange best legislative practices, enhance parliamentary oversight, and strengthen institutional cooperation beyond traditional executive-level diplomacy,” the Secretariat said.
It added that the programme would also prioritise engagement with the Pakistani-American community to present Pakistan’s parliamentary perspective on regional and global issues, while advancing scientific, cultural and policy-oriented cooperation.
Notably, the Secretariat pointed out that no Pakistani parliamentary delegation has held formal engagements at the Rayburn House Office Building under the auspices of the US Congress in the 77-year history of Pakistan-US relations.
The visit will also feature a press conference and media engagements at the National Press Club, as well as community and policy receptions in New Jersey.
The Secretariat said the visit is expected to lay the groundwork for regular parliamentary exchanges, deeper legislative cooperation and a sustainable institutional partnership between Pakistan and the United States, anchored in mutual respect, democratic principles and long-term strategic engagement.
The announcement follows a visit by a US Congressional delegation to Pakistan in April last year, which the visiting lawmakers described as “highly successful and productive”.
That delegation included Congressmen Jack Bergman, Tom Suozzi and Jonathan Jackson, who held meetings with senior Pakistani officials, including COAS.
