Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday reaffirmed support for sustained diplomacy and regional peace, as Pakistan stepped up efforts to maintain momentum following recent Iran-related negotiations in Islamabad. The 50-minute call comes at a sensitive stage in regional diplomacy, after weeks of conflict between Iran and the United States disrupted energy flows, pushed oil prices sharply higher and rattled global markets. A fragile ceasefire brokered through Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation earlier this month created space for talks aimed at reducing tensions. During the conversation, Pakistani premier thanked Tehran for sending a high-level delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad for talks on April 11-12, and welcomed Araghchi&rsquo;s recent Friday visit to Pakistan for consultations on regional developments. According to Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, PM Sharif said his recent diplomatic outreach to leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye had helped build &ldquo;broader consensus&rdquo; in support of dialogue and diplomacy, with the aim of securing lasting peace in what it described as a war-affected region. Pakistan has positioned itself as a central mediator in the ongoing diplomatic process, facilitating initial contacts between Washington and Tehran while urging all sides to uphold the ceasefire. The talks have focused on key issues including regional security, sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz and broader stability. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world&rsquo;s oil supply passes, became a major flashpoint during the conflict, triggering sharp rises in oil prices and adding to inflationary concerns globally. Its reopening under the ceasefire helped ease market pressures and renewed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough. PM Sharif also thanked the Iranian leadership for what the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office described as &ldquo;fruitful discussions&rdquo; with Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his recent visit to Tehran, highlighting continued military and diplomatic coordination. President Pezeshkian thanked Sharif, according to the statement, Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for their &ldquo;significant contribution&rdquo; to peace efforts and reaffirmed Iran&rsquo;s desire for peace, according to the statement. Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination as diplomatic engagement continues.

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed support for diplomacy and peace, praised ceasefire efforts, highlighted Pakistan’s mediation role, and agrees to stay in close contact for continued dialogue.

Pakistan, Iran reaffirm diplomacy as regional peace efforts intensify

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on behalf of the people of Pakistan and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, conveyed &ldquo;deep and sincere appreciation&rdquo; for US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s message, which praised Pakistan and its leadership.&nbsp;In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed gratitude toward Pakistan and described its &ldquo;Great Prime Minister and Field Marshal&rdquo; as &ldquo;two fantastic people,&rdquo; underscoring his admiration for the country&rsquo;s leadership.&nbsp;His remarks followed Iran&rsquo;s announcement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the passage of all commercial vessels. Taking to X, PM Sharif acknowledged the cordial nature of the exchange, as the message quickly gained traction online. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 616px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2045192079010070667&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6d0bb276f592568f4f00fcf2a715f0a0e1221465&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, Iran&rsquo;s foreign minister announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain fully open for all commercial vessels for the duration of the ceasefire, in line with the truce in Lebanon. Abbas Araghchi added that vessel movement would follow the coordinated routes previously outlined by Iran&rsquo;s Ports and Maritime Organisation.&nbsp;Responding to Iran&rsquo;s decision, Trump posted a brief message on social media, saying: &ldquo;Thank you.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also expressed appreciation to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, stating: &ldquo;Thank you to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar for your great bravery and help.&rdquo;&nbsp;Referring to the situation, Trump added that NATO had offered assistance, but he declined, saying they should &ldquo;stay away unless they just want to load up their ships with oil,&rdquo; and criticized the alliance as ineffective when it was needed. Iranian officials, on the other hand, indicated that the reopening is linked to the ongoing ceasefire and diplomatic engagement, including talks hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad.&nbsp;Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global energy supplies passes, had been impacted during the escalation, when Iran restricted access in response to US-Israel strikes.&nbsp;Its reopening has helped stabilize markets, with oil prices falling sharply amid renewed optimism over easing tensions.&nbsp;International benchmark Brent crude dropped to around $89 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell to about $84, reflecting market confidence following the ceasefire and Pakistan-mediated talks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on September 25. (File photo: PMO)

Asia

Americas

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on behalf of the people of Pakistan and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, conveys “deep and profound appreciation” for US President Donald Trump’s message, which praised Pakistan and its leadership.

PM Sharif thanks President Trump for ‘kind and gracious words’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with both leaders reaffirming support for Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to advance peace in the Middle East.&nbsp;During the meeting, Erdoğan praised Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic initiative and said T&uuml;rkiye would &ldquo;continue to support Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to bring peace to the region,&rdquo; according to a statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office.&nbsp;The talks come as Islamabad plays a central role in facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran following a fragile ceasefire.&nbsp;PM Sharif thanked Erdoğan for his support and shared updates on efforts to sustain the ceasefire and resume negotiations.&nbsp;Both leaders stressed the importance of using the current momentum to achieve a &ldquo;durable and lasting regional peace,&rdquo; amid ongoing diplomatic engagement linked to the Islamabad Talks.&nbsp;The two sides also reaffirmed their longstanding strategic partnership, expressing satisfaction over growing bilateral ties and agreeing to convene the next High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara later this year, while exploring avenues to deepen economic cooperation.

Pakistan and Türkiye reaffirm cooperation, with Tayyip Erdoğan supporting Pakistan’s peace efforts in Middle East talks. Both leaders strengthen ties and continue working together to promote regional stability and lasting peace.


Sharif, Erdogan meet in Antalya, reaffirm support for peace efforts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a review meeting on Monday on Pakistan&rsquo;s petroleum reserves amid regional tensions, noting that there have been no oil shortages in the country despite the situation in the Middle East, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO).&nbsp;&ldquo;The Prime Minister directed to continue constant monitoring of oil consumption in the country,&rdquo; the PMO said.&nbsp;During the meeting, PM Sharif said that due to constant monitoring of oil consumption and reserves and a better strategy, the steps taken to provide relief to the people will continue. PM Sharif was briefed about the arrangements made for the import of oil in view of future requirements.&nbsp;&ldquo;The briefing stated that there is an adequate quantity of petroleum products in the country, but it is necessary to maintain thriftiness for savings,&rdquo; it added.&nbsp;Earlier, the remarks come as tensions across the Middle East continue to surge following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets that triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region, raising fears of a wider conflict involving multiple countries and key global energy routes.&nbsp;The meeting was attended by Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials.

Economy

Supplies are adequate with continued monitoring and import planning.

PM Sharif reviews country’s petroleum reserves, says no shortage

Middle East

US and Iran confirm coming to Islamabad for peace talks, Israel continues to strike Lebanon as Tehran guarantees safe passage for maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, Pakistan PM Sharif invites delegations from both countries to Islamabad, 'to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.'



Articles tagged with "Pakistan PM Sharif"

Pakistan, Iran reaffirm diplomacy as regional peace efforts intensify

PM Sharif thanks President Trump for ‘kind and gracious words’

Sharif, Erdogan meet in Antalya, reaffirm support for peace efforts

PM Sharif reviews country’s petroleum reserves, says no shortage

Day 40: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran