- The Prime Minister reiterates his strong solidarity with Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
- Two leaders discuss recent developments and regional security dynamics.
- Agree to continue working together to promote peace and stability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia, telling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Islamabad would stand firmly with the Kingdom in difficult times and continue to work with it for peace in the region.
Pakistan has stepped up its diplomacy after the Iran war – which was sparked by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, killing its supreme leader and plunging the Middle East into conflict – with PM Shehbaz and DPM/FM Dar reaching out to their counterparts in the region as well as Gulf countries to play their role in easing regional tensions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz’s remarks came during a restricted meeting between the two leaders in Jeddah, during which they discussed recent regional developments and the need for close cooperation to promote stability in the Middle East.
At the start of the meeting, the minister conveyed his respectful greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s long-standing support to Pakistan.
Senior Pakistani officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Force Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, were also present during the meeting.
According to the official document, the two sides held in-depth discussions on the developments in the regional situation and agreed to maintain close coordination in efforts to ensure peace and stability.
“The Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s full solidarity and support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in these difficult times,” the Prime Minister’s media office said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan values its long-standing relations with Saudi Arabia and will continue to strive for the common goal of regional harmony.
“The Prime Minister assured His Royal Highness that Pakistan will always stand firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and strive to realize their mutual desire for peace in the region,” the statement added.
After the high-level interaction in Jeddah, Prime Minister Shehbaz left Saudi Arabia for Pakistan.
Tensions in the Middle East
Pakistan has stepped up its diplomacy after the Iran war – which was sparked by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, killing its supreme leader and plunging the Middle East into conflict – with PM Shehbaz and DPM/FM Dar reaching out to their counterparts in the region as well as Gulf countries to play their role in easing regional tensions.
Iran has targeted US bases as well as targets in Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, and has also closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending the price of oil soaring – and warning that the world should be prepared to pay $200 a barrel.
Meanwhile, Defense Force Chief Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting last week during which the two sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom as part of the joint strategic defense agreement between the two countries.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the historic Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) in September last year, which considers an attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both.
In a statement released Saturday morning, Khalid bin Salman said the meeting focused on ways to end the attacks, which he said do not serve the security and stability of the region.
He added that there is hope that the Iranian side will prioritize wisdom and reason and refrain from “miscalculations.”
Saudi Arabia intercepted two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field on Thursday, as Iran again targets the facility in its campaign to disrupt global energy markets.
“Two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed,” a spokesperson for the country’s Defense Ministry said on X.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia confirmed on Wednesday that it had prevented several drone attacks on the facility, which is critical to the country’s oil production.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, the prime minister’s foreign media spokesperson, Mohsarraf Zaidi, recently said there was no doubt that Islamabad would come to Riyadh’s aid “whatever happens and no matter when.”
Although Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed regret over strikes in regional countries, Tehran said it would target sites used to launch attacks on its soil.
Prime Minister Zaidi’s spokesperson stressed that Islamabad and Riyadh have always “operated on the principle of being there for each other.”
