Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday embarked on a four-day diplomatic tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, as Islamabad intensifies efforts to support renewed US-Iran peace negotiations. The visit comes amid heightened regional tensions following ongoing conflict in the Middle East and tentative attempts to revive stalled dialogue between Washington and Tehran.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral engagements in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while also participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. During his stay in Turkey, Sharif is expected to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other global leaders on the sidelines of the international forum, which has become a key platform for regional diplomatic coordination.
The diplomatic outreach is taking place against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to stabilise the situation between the United States and Iran. Recent indirect and face-to-face discussions between the two sides, reportedly held in Islamabad, have focused on ending hostilities that escalated after strikes involving the United States and Israel earlier this year. Although no final agreement has been reached, further rounds of talks are being considered.
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The conflict has significantly disrupted regional security and energy flows, with several Gulf countries facing heightened risks due to retaliatory tensions. Pakistan has positioned itself as a facilitator in backchannel diplomacy, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar accompanying the Prime Minister during the visits.
Sharif’s tour also coincides with strengthening financial ties between Pakistan and Gulf partners. On the same day, Pakistan’s finance ministry confirmed that Saudi Arabia would provide a $3 billion support package to help stabilise Pakistan’s foreign reserves, alongside an extension of an existing $5 billion deposit arrangement. The development underscores the broader economic dimension of Islamabad’s diplomatic engagements in the region.
As Pakistan seeks to position itself as a mediator in escalating geopolitical tensions, the outcome of Sharif’s engagements in Riyadh, Doha, and Antalya is expected to play a role in shaping the next phase of regional diplomacy surrounding the US-Iran dialogue process.
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