Discussion focused on global and regional issues; discussion with Rubio on minerals and investments by American companies
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attends the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council in Washington DC, February 19, 2026. PHOTO: OFFICE OF THE PM ON
WASHINGTON:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met several world leaders, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to Washington, DC, for the inaugural session of the ‘Peace Council’. Discussions focused on global and regional issues, and Secretary Rubio discussed critical minerals, energy sector development, and investment opportunities for U.S. companies in Pakistan with Prime Minister Shehbaz.
Read: Prime Minister to attend Gaza Peace Council meeting
In a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Sharif spoke with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia.
Furthermore, according to the press release from the Office of the US Department of State, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Prime Minister Sharif, welcoming Pakistan’s continued support for President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and thanking the country for its role as a founding member of the “Peace Council”.
He expressed condolences over the recent attacks in Balochistan and Islamabad, reaffirming the importance of continued cooperation in the fight against terrorism. They discussed critical minerals, energy sector development and investment opportunities for U.S. companies in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif arrived in Washington on Thursday to attend the inaugural summit of the US-led “Peace Council”, an initiative focused on Gaza and resolving the global conflict. His delegation included senior officials such as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other ministers, and his visit came at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
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At the summit, President Trump publicly congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Asim Munir, recalling their role in achieving a ceasefire in the May conflict with India and expressing personal admiration for Prime Minister Shehbaz and CDF Munir.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his speech at the “Peace Council” meeting, welcomed efforts towards lasting peace in Gaza and stressed the importance of ending ceasefire violations to enable reconstruction and stability in the war-torn strip. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Palestinian self-determination and a sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state.
Before and during the visit, officials stressed that Islamabad would carefully consider any participation in an international stabilization force in Gaza, seeking clear assurances that such a mission would be strictly peacekeeping and would not involve disarmament actions against Hamas, according to Reuters.
