Web Desk: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, reaffirming longstanding ties and discussing regional security, connectivity and bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders stressed the need to implement understandings reached during Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan in June and reviewed efforts to expand economic and people-to-people links between the neighbouring countries.
Shehbaz said Pakistan would continue diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the region, highlighting Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to Tehran and describing his engagement there as constructive.
The prime minister also called for restraint, dialogue and sustained diplomatic contacts to address regional tensions. He said progress under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding was essential for achieving lasting peace.
Pezeshkian praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote regional peace and security, while reaffirming Tehran’s interest in expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.
Shehbaz invited Pezeshkian to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient date, while the Iranian president invited the Pakistani prime minister to attend the Economic Cooperation Organisation summit scheduled to be held in Tehran in December 2026.
The Iranian president also called for greater unity among Muslim countries to address contemporary challenges.
The meeting was attended by Pakistan’s Information Minister Atta Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials also participated.
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