Bishkek (GNP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with senior Iranian leadership on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit in Bishkek, underscoring Islamabad’s push to deepen bilateral engagement with Tehran even as both countries navigate a volatile regional landscape.
Prime Minister Shehbaz met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, with both leaders describing the meeting as warm and cordial. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two reviewed progress on understandings reached during Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan in June and discussed expanding cooperation on regional connectivity and people-to-people contacts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, noting that recent engagements by Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran had been constructive, and stressed the importance of restraint and sustained diplomatic engagement.
The prime minister also called for progress on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between the United States and Iran on June 18, describing it as the only viable pathway toward enduring peace in the region. President Pezeshkian, in turn, praised Pakistan’s consistent diplomatic efforts and pointed to the two countries’ shared history, culture and faith, while calling for greater unity among Muslim nations in addressing contemporary challenges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz invited Pezeshkian to make another official visit to Pakistan, and Pezeshkian reciprocated by inviting him to the upcoming Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Tehran in December 2026. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch represented Pakistan at the meeting, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.
Building on that engagement, Deputy Prime Minister Dar met his Iranian counterpart Araghchi on Tuesday, emphasizing that faithful adherence to the Islamabad MoU remains the only viable path forward amid the continuing Middle East conflict.
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Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the meeting as a warm exchange in which the two ministers discussed bilateral relations and regional developments and reaffirmed their commitment to continued engagement.
The Islamabad MoU laid out a framework for ending the war triggered by United States-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, reached through mediation efforts led by Pakistan and other partners, building on an earlier ceasefire Islamabad had brokered between the United States and Iran in April that curbed the most intense fighting even as sporadic attacks have continued.
The back-to-back meetings came as Pakistan played a prominent role at the two-day SCO summit marking the bloc’s 25th anniversary, having arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday, where Prime Minister Shehbaz was welcomed by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov before joining other world leaders for a group photo.
Dar also met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov separately on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties and regional matters of mutual interest. During the visit, Pakistan is set to formally assume the chairmanship of the SCO’s Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, with Islamabad slated to host next year’s summit, positioning the country at the center of the bloc’s diplomatic calendar in the year ahead.
Ishaq Dar said, “Both parties to the conflict must sincerely implement the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”
Masoud Pezeshkian said, “Tehran wishes to expand cooperation with Pakistan across multiple sectors.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
