ISLAMABAD: Following a brainstorming session with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye at a quadrilateral summit here on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that Pakistan will host talks between Iran and the US to bring an early and permanent end to the war.
In a televised address following the moot, Dar said Iran and US had expressed confidence in Pakistan’s role in facilitating the negotiations.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attended the moot as Islamabad steps up efforts to help de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
The participants agreed that war served no one’s interests and discussed ways to bring ‘an early and permanent end’ to the conflict, Dar said. The foreign ministers stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path forward, he added.
He said the discussions focused on de-escalation and regional stability.
Urging all countries to respect the sovereignty and security of others in line with the United Nations Charter, Dar said the ongoing Middle East situation had underscored the growing importance of unity in the Muslim world.
Dar said Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.
He also confirmed holding a detailed telephonic conversation with the foreign ministers of China and Iran as part of ongoing diplomatic engagement. “Let me also share with you that I had a detailed telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China fully supports Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran-US talks.”
In an earlier post on his X handle, Dar said the FMs’ visit to Pakistan reflected the “strong fraternal ties” among the countries. “Our candid and constructive discussions focus on the evolving regional situation and advancing peace and stability, while strengthening our partnership and deepening cooperation,” he wrote.
In another statement on X, Dar wrote, “I am pleased to share a great news that the Government of Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz; two ships will cross the Strait daily.” He said dialogue diplomacy and such confidence building measures are the only way forward.
US president Donald Trump also shared Dar’s tweet on Iran on Truth Social allowing 20 Pakistan-flagged tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
During his meeting with Prince Faisal, Dar discussed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and collective efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region, said the Foreign Office Spokesperson in a press release. Reaffirming their commitment to closer engagement, the two sides agreed to continue working together at bilateral and multilateral levels to further strengthen cooperation and contribute to regional peace and prosperity.
In his meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister, Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan attached great importance to its longstanding and brotherly relations with Egypt, anchored in shared history, common faith and a convergence of views on regional and international issues.
Both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum generated through the recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of the Egyptian foreign minister to Pakistan in November 2025, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all domains. The two ministers emphasised the need to enhance bilateral trade and investment. They agreed on the importance of activating bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission, and promoting business-to-business linkages.
Dar appreciated Egypt’s continued support in the health sector, particularly in combating Hepatitis-C, and welcomed ongoing collaboration in this area. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of defence and security cooperation and agreed to further strengthen collaboration through training exchanges and other institutional mechanisms. The two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East. They underscored the need for restraint, de-escalation and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
The DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and strongly condemned the continued aggression by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza and the West Bank. He appreciated Egypt’s role in facilitating humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including support extended to Pakistan’s relief efforts. Both sides agreed to continue close coordination at multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the OIC.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Egypt to further strengthen their close and brotherly relations and to deepen cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
The visit of the Egyptian foreign minister took place as a follow-up to recent high-level contacts between the two sides, including discussions held in Riyadh on 19 March 2026, and reflected the close coordination between Pakistan and Egypt on evolving regional developments, it was added.
In his meeting with his Turkish counterpart Dr Hakan Fidan, Dar exchanged views on the obtaining regional developments, including the evolving situation in Iran. During a meeting at the Foreign Office, both sides emphasised the importance of dialogue and sustained diplomatic engagement to promote peace and stability. Dar underscored the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture and mutual respect. He expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Turkiye across all sectors of mutual interest.
The discussions provided an opportunity to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues for strengthening the longstanding strategic partnership between the two brotherly countries. Both sides reaffirmed their unwavering support for each other’s core national interests, agreed to maintain close coordination and to continue working together to deepen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.
In a closely related development, Dar held a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and ongoing developments. Dar emphasised the need for de-escalation stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path for lasting peace. He also underscored the importance of an end to all attacks and hostilities. The deputy prime minister said Pakistan remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability.
On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House.
Shehbaz shared with the visiting foreign ministers Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic outreach amid the obtaining highly volatile situation, including mediation efforts for de-escalation and bringing both the US and Iran to the negotiating table. Reaffirming Pakistan’s full and unwavering solidarity and support to Saudi Arabia, the prime minster appreciated the remarkable restraint exercised by Saudi Arabia and assured Prince Faisal that Pakistan would always stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia, the PM Office said in a statement.
The statement said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had agreed to continue to coordinate their positions closely in order to secure peace and stability in the region. The prime minister was assisted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, National Security Adviser Lt. Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, and SAPM Tariq Fatemi.
During the warm and cordial meeting, the prime minister warmly welcomed the Saudi foreign minister and conveyed his respectful regards for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and warm greetings for Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The prime minister recalled his recent conversations with the crown prince, including their meeting in Jeddah on March 12. Emphasizing the Kingdom’s leadership role in the Muslim Ummah, the prime minister stressed upon the need to forge unity within the Islamic countries at this critical time. The Saudi foreign minister thanked the prime minister for receiving him and shared with him the latest Saudi perspective on the regional situation.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to continue to coordinate their positions closely in order to secure peace and stability in the region.
Later, Foreign Minister of Türkiye Hakan Fidan and Foreign Minister of Egypt Dr. Badr Abdelatty met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi received the foreign ministers upon their arrival at the Prime Minister’s House. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and National Security Adviser Lt. Gen Muhammad Asim Malik also attended the meeting.
Shehbaz shared Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach efforts with the two visiting dignitaries and stressed the need for collective efforts to urgently bring an end to hostilities that were causing heavy loss of life, economy and property not only in Iran, but across several brotherly Muslim countries. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment and resolve to play a positive role in bringing both Iran and the US to the negotiating table.
The foreign ministers briefed the prime minister on their respective national perspectives on the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
Appreciating Pakistan’s constructive role in peace efforts, they lauded the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their leadership at the current challenging times.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar at the conclusion of 2nd meeting of four foreign ministers quoted him as saying: “I held very productive bilateral meetings with three foreign ministers.
i. The foreign ministers held a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation. We also discussed the possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region.
ii. The foreign ministers expressed concerns that the on-going conflict is extremely unfortunate for its devastating impact on lives and livelihood across the wider region.
iii. We agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction. The unity of Muslim Ummah in these challenging times is of utmost importance.
iv. I briefed the visiting foreign ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The visiting foreign ministers expressed their full support to the initiative.
v. The foreign ministers reaffirmed unity to contain the situation, reduce the risk of military escalations and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties.
vi. The foreign ministers advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable pathway to prevent conflicts and to promote regional peace and harmony. We called for upholding principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
vii. The foreign ministers also discussed ways and means to further strengthen mutual cooperation among the four brotherly countries.
He said under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has maintained regular engagement with our regional and international partners. Pakistan has remained actively involved in all efforts and initiative aimed at bringing this conflict to an end. Pakistan also has a very important relationship with the United States. We have remained actively engaged with the US leadership as well, as part of our efforts to de-escalate the situation and finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
In this context, Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks.
Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.
Let me also share with you that I had a detailed telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China fully supports Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran-US talks.
Similarly, I had a telephonic conversation with the Secretary General of the United Nations. The Secretary General has expressed his full support for the peace initiative by Pakistan.
I have also held several telephone conversations with my counterparts from different countries around the world. They have all extended their full support and confidence in our efforts.
Therefore, there is a strong appreciation and support among all our friends for the efforts being made by Pakistan. We will continue our efforts with sincerity and commitment.
Pakistan will require prayers and support of the entire international community for the success of its endeavour to achieve peace and bring a permanent end to this war.
According to Geo News, the visiting foreign ministers departed for their countries after the meetings in Islamabad concluded. It is learnt that the Saudi foreign minister was last to arrive in Islamabad and first to leave.
Meanwhile the Financial Times reported that the US-Israeli war against Iran escalated over the weekend with a string of attacks on civilian infrastructure, even as regional diplomats held talks in a bid to de-escalate the conflict.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of Iran’s top wartime leaders, on Sunday accused the US of using diplomatic efforts as cover to prepare for ground operations in the Islamic republic.
He issued the statement as the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad to discuss options to convince the US and Iran to accept a deal to end the war. But there was no sign of any diplomatic progress as US and Israeli warplanes kept up their bombardment of Tehran and other Iranian cities, and an additional 3,500 US troops arrived in the region.
