Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani Arrives In Islamabad

Islamabad (GNP): Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani has arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit, marking the first trip by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades and the first since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Neither government has issued a formal joint announcement, though officials on both sides confirmed the visit ahead of his arrival on Wednesday.

During his stay, al-Shaibani is set to hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and meet other senior officials in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Discussions are expected to cover bilateral cooperation, multilateral coordination, and regional security dynamics, including ongoing peace efforts and the broader Middle East situation. Al-Shaibani was appointed foreign minister on December 21, 2024, following the collapse of the Assad government.

The visit carries added weight as Syria works to rebuild its diplomatic, political, and economic standing after Assad’s ouster in December 2024 and the rise of a new administration under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It also arrives at a moment when two of Pakistan’s key regional partners, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, have deepened ties with Syria’s new leadership. Riyadh has hosted al-Sharaa, while Ankara has kept close contact with Damascus since Assad’s fall.

For Pakistan, the transition in Syria opens space to strengthen a relationship that has endured several regional upheavals. Islamabad and Damascus established diplomatic relations in 1948, with political and defence cooperation expanding through the 1960s and 1970s. Pakistan extended military training and assistance to Syria during that period, including the deployment of Pakistani Air Force pilots who flew Syrian fighter jets.

Among the most notable chapters of this defence relationship came in April 1974, when Pakistani Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi, serving with the Syrian Air Force, shot down an Israeli Mirage in an aerial engagement over the Golan Heights while flying a Syrian MiG-21. The episode remains part of the Pakistan Air Force’s institutional history, and Syria conferred its Medal of Bravery on the retired officer in 2023.

Political exchanges between the two countries have also been significant. Syrian President Hafez al-Assad visited Lahore in 1974 for the Islamic Summit, and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem travelled to Islamabad in 2007 for the 34th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers. Pakistan kept its embassy open in Damascus and maintained diplomatic engagement throughout the Syrian civil war, even as many Arab and Western states scaled back relations with the Assad government.

Cooperation between the two nations has also extended into education, with continuing exchanges involving institutions and officials from both sides, including a visit by Syria’s education minister to Pakistan in 2021. Following Assad’s removal, Islamabad moved quickly to establish contact with Syria’s new authorities and has repeatedly voiced support for the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stabilisation efforts.

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Last month, Pakistan called for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transitional justice process, emphasising that respect for national sovereignty remains central to lasting peace in the country. Speaking at a United Nations Arria-Formula meeting on transitional justice and missing persons in Syria, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said national ownership, reconciliation, and inclusive institutions are essential to achieving durable stability, with international support playing only a complementary role.

Al-Shaibani’s visit marks a significant point in the evolution of bilateral ties, giving both countries a chance to move beyond a relationship historically centred on politics and defence toward cooperation in reconstruction, trade, investment, education, and human-resource development. For Pakistan, closer engagement with Damascus could also complement its strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, both of which hold considerable stakes in Syria’s future. For Syria’s new leadership, Pakistan represents a partner that sustained diplomatic ties through some of the most difficult periods in its modern history, backed by long-standing political, defence, and educational links.

Says Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, “National ownership, reconciliation and inclusive institutions are essential for achieving lasting peace and stability in Syria”