Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday spoke with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, with the two leaders exchanging views on the “evolving regional situation”.
According to a handout from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement for promoting peace, security and development in the region”.
“Reflecting the close and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Iran, rooted in shared history, culture, and faith, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintain regular high-level engagements and consultations through bilateral institutional mechanisms, to further strengthen cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral relations,” the statement said.
The call came hours after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Foreign Office (FO) posted on X that the two foreign ministers had spoken on the phone, during which Dar expressed concern over the evolving regional situation.
The foreign minister “underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable way forward”, the FO said.
It added that both leaders agreed to remain in close contact.
The two leaders had already spoken on Saturday, when Dar received a call from Araghchi while on a visit to Dubai.
According to the FO, the Iranian minister had thanked the deputy prime minister for “his strong support and Pakistan’s position at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, including its call for a vote as well as voting against the resolution concerning Iran”.
Last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council had adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran for two years. Pakistan was one of the seven countries that voted against the resolution, along with India and China.
