By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable restraint” in the face of Iranian missile and drone attacks and assured Riyadh of Pakistan’s steadfast solidarity, as Islamabad hosted a high-level gathering of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to discuss ways to end the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The meetings came as the region grapples with the fallout from a war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on Feb. 28. Iranian strikes have since targeted Saudi facilities including Prince Sultan Air Base, the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, oil fields and energy infrastructure, disrupting global energy supplies and cargo routes while threatening the economies of several Gulf states.
Sharif’s comments were delivered during a bilateral meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at the Prime Minister’s Office, shortly after the conclusion of a quadrilateral ministerial meeting involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. The Saudi minister had traveled to Islamabad specifically for the gathering.
According to a statement from Sharif’s office, the prime minister outlined Pakistan’s own diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis, including attempts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table. Prince Faisal, in turn, briefed Sharif on the latest Saudi assessment of the regional situation. Sharif “assured the visiting dignitary of Pakistan’s full and unwavering solidarity and support,” the statement said.
The prime minister also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in the Muslim world and urged greater unity among Islamic nations “at this critical time,” the office added. He recalled his recent discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including an in-person meeting in Jeddah on March 12, and said the two countries had agreed “to continue to coordinate their positions closely in order to secure peace and stability in the region.”
Sharif “warmly welcomed” Prince Faisal and conveyed “respectful regards” for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and “warm greetings” for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the statement said. The Saudi minister was received upon arrival at the Prime Minister’s Office by Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs. Also present for the talks were Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik, who also serves as director-general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence directorate.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military and strategic ties for decades. Sharif’s government has repeatedly positioned Islamabad as a potential mediator in regional conflicts, leveraging its longstanding relationships with both Riyadh and Tehran. The prime minister himself visited the kingdom earlier this month for what his office described as an in-depth exchange with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on regional developments. Both leaders agreed then to work together to promote peace amid heightened volatility.
Later Sunday, Sharif held separate meetings at the Prime Minister’s House with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who were in Islamabad for the same quadrilateral session. Fatemi received both ministers upon their arrival, and Dar and Malik again participated.
Sunday’s diplomatic flurry underscored Pakistan’s efforts to insert itself as a constructive player in a crisis that has drawn in major powers and threatened to further destabilize an already volatile region.
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