Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt following a quadrilateral meeting on the Middle East situation, appreciating their trust in Pakistan’s peace efforts.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, brought together the top diplomats of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt as part of a coordinated regional initiative aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.
The consultations focused on de-escalating the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which has now entered its first month, raising concerns over a broader regional spillover and potential disruptions to global energy supplies.
In a post on X early Monday, PM Shehbaz said, “It was a pleasure to receive His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan this evening.”
According to an official statement, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and praised the Kingdom’s “remarkable restraint in these challenging times.”
He also acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in the Muslim Ummah and stressed the need for unity among Islamic nations.
PM Shehbaz said both countries had agreed to remain in close coordination in their shared pursuit of peace and regional stability.
Separately, the premier also expressed his pleasure at meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty on Sunday evening.
In another social media post, he underscored the urgent need for collective efforts to bring an immediate end to hostilities, which he said were causing significant loss of life, economic damage and destruction of property not only in Iran but across several brotherly Muslim countries.
He appreciated the constructive contributions of Turkiye and Egypt and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to playing a positive role in bringing Iran and the United States back to the negotiating table.
“Grateful for their confidence in Pakistan’s sincere efforts for regional peace and stability,” PM Shehbaz added.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office after midnight said the three foreign ministers departed Islamabad following the conclusion of the quadrilateral consultations.
Pakistan also signalled on Sunday that it may host direct talks between the US and Iran in the coming days.
Speaking at the close of the consultations, Ishaq Dar said, “Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.”
Dar is also expected to travel to Beijing for further consultations regarding the proposed Iran-US dialogue.
Pakistan intensifies diplomatic push for peace
Pakistan has significantly stepped up its diplomatic outreach as it seeks to help de-escalate hostilities in the Middle East, triggered by the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s continuing retaliatory attacks.
Islamabad has been actively engaging Washington, Gulf capitals and other Muslim countries in an effort to create diplomatic space for dialogue.
The quadrilateral meeting was initially scheduled to take place in Turkiye but was shifted to Islamabad at the last minute due to Dar’s inability to travel, as he remained deeply involved in Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks.
According to a diplomatic source, talks in Islamabad could take place around Tuesday, potentially involving US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Another diplomat closely monitoring developments said there is growing expectation that Washington may announce a ceasefire to coincide with the start of dialogue, in line with Tehran’s demand for confidence-building measures.
However, the source cautioned that the situation remains fluid and will largely depend on developments over the next 48 hours.
Earlier on Friday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had also said that a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan could take place “very soon”.