Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to embark on a three-nation visit starting with Saudi Arabia, as Pakistan steps up diplomatic outreach amid shifting regional tensions.
Well-placed sources told Geo News on Tuesday that the trip, initially reported as a visit to Saudi Arabia only, has been expanded, with the premier now expected to hold talks with key leaders across the region on pressing diplomatic and security issues.
Shehbaz will travel first to Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar, before concluding the tour in Turkiye, the sources said, adding that the visit to the friendly countries will centre on regional stability and ongoing diplomatic developments.
The prime minister is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where both sides will discuss key bilateral issues, the sources said.
“Important bilateral matters between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will come under discussion,” they said, adding that regional and global developments, including Islamabad Talks, will also be part of the agenda.
The sources further said consultations with the friendly nations are expected on the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the next round of US-Iran talks, as tensions continue to shape regional dynamics.
Both sides are also expected to deliberate on strengthening Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations, with a focus on enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors.
Pakistan has been thrust into the international spotlight as it plays the role of a mediator between the US and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
The much-anticipated talks in Islamabad, which ran from Saturday into early Sunday, were the first direct US-Iranian meeting in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The negotiations came days after a ceasefire began last Tuesday, aimed at ending six weeks of fighting that has killed hundreds of people across the Gulf, throttled vital supplies of energy and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict.
A formal agreement was not reached after the intense 21-hour discussions, and following that, the US military began blockading all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, jeopardising a fragile two-week ceasefire.
Reuters, citing four sources, has reported that negotiating teams from the United States and Iran could return to Islamabad this week.
