Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Iran and Turkey from July 3 to 5, as Islamabad steps up diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States. The Foreign Office announced the trip Thursday.
Why is PM Shehbaz Sharif visiting Iran and Turkey?
Sharif will attend the funeral ceremony of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the Iran leg of the trip.
He will then travel to Turkey to take part in a business conference. The visit comes as Pakistan works to support renewed dialogue between Iran and the United States.
Who is accompanying the prime minister on the trip?
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel with Sharif. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi confirmed the delegation details during a weekly media briefing in Islamabad. No other officials were named as part of the traveling party.
What role is Pakistan playing in Iran-US talks?
Andrabi said Pakistan and Qatar recently held separate mediation meetings in Doha with US and Iranian negotiators. He said the talks made positive progress on issues tied to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
The discussions built on understandings reached at the Lake Lucerne Summit, and both sides agreed to continue negotiations after Khamenei's funeral ceremonies conclude.
What did Pakistan say about the Indus Waters Treaty?
The Foreign Office also addressed a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty held at Islamabad's Jinnah Convention Centre, where participants rejected using water as a political tool. Andrabi reiterated Dar's position that the more than 60-year-old treaty cannot be terminated unilaterally.
He said Pakistan continues to monitor India's activities under the treaty and remains committed to implementing all its provisions. He added that no country can render Pakistan barren by manipulating water resources, noting China's interest in preserving regional water security as a stakeholder in the Himalayan glacier system.
What humanitarian assistance has Pakistan provided to Iran?
Andrabi said Pakistan has facilitated the repatriation of 70 Iranian nationals. Most recently, 22 Iranian crew members of the vessel Lenor/Devina returned home with Pakistan's assistance. This marked the fourth such repatriation effort in the past two months.
What other diplomatic developments did the Foreign Office announce?
Pakistan was elected as a member of the International Olive Council, with Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain representing the country at the relevant conference. Andrabi also said Pakistan shared a verified list of 753 Indian prisoners with New Delhi, compiled from official records, family information and media reports. He said Pakistan was unaware of the methodology India used for its own list.
On regional diplomacy, Andrabi acknowledged informal meetings held in Bangkok and Colombo concerning Pakistan-India relations, but said these were organized by private think tanks and did not reflect any shift in official policy. He said there were no new developments regarding Asif Merchant.
On the hijacked vessel MT Honor off Somalia, he said Pakistani nationals remain among the hostages and that Pakistan is urging the ship's owners to secure their early release, while noting such cases have historically taken several months to resolve. Andrabi also said the Foreign Office was not aware of any restrictions on religious freedoms in the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain.
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