The spokesperson says PM Shehbaz will visit China from May 23 to 26 and meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to boost ties.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Anbrabi speaks at a press conference on May 22, 2026. Screenshot
The Foreign Ministry on Friday refused to confirm or deny reports that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Iran, offering no comment amid a busy week of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in the region.
In his speech at the weekly press conference, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tahir Andrabi, neither confirmed nor denied the alleged visit to Tehran. The development came as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made two visits to Iran on May 16 and 20, during which he held meetings with Iranian leaders.
Meanwhile, Andrabi announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official visit to China from May 23 to 26 at the invitation of the Chinese government.
He said the visit has “special significance” as both countries commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and would provide an opportunity to reaffirm the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China.
According to the spokesperson, Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. “The two sides will review bilateral relations, cooperation in political, economic and strategic fields, with special attention to high-quality development, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, modernization of agriculture, information technology, science and technology and people-to-people exchanges,” he said.
The prime minister will begin his visit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where he will chair a Pakistan-China business conference covering sectors such as IT, telecom, energy, energy storage and agriculture. In Beijing, he will also attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to mark the anniversary celebrations.
“The visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen political trust, strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation and consolidate the long-standing friendship between the two countries,” Andrabi said.
Responding to questions, the spokesperson said the ongoing talks between the US and Iran could also come up during Prime Minister Shehbaz’s meetings with Chinese leaders.
He added that Pakistan and China already shared established trust in Middle East affairs and recalled that both sides had agreed on a five-point agenda during the recent visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to China.
The spokesperson said Pakistan continued its diplomatic efforts for peace, dialogue and de-escalation amid tensions in the Middle East and Gulf region.
He further noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz held two telephone conversations over the past week with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during which both leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s peace efforts.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to lasting peace and stability.
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Andrabi added that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also continued to actively engage with his regional counterparts as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach.
On May 18, Dar held a telephone conversation with Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, while on May 17 he spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty about regional developments and multilateral engagement.
On May 16, Dar also spoke with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov about bilateral relations and regional affairs.
The spokesperson further reaffirmed Pakistan’s condemnation of two drone attacks carried out on May 17 against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, expressing solidarity with both countries.
Referring to the attack involving the United Arab Emirates, Anbrabi warned: “Any deliberate attack on nuclear facilities constitutes a serious violation of international law.” He added: “Nuclear facilities should never be attacked under any circumstances, and we hope that this tragic and serious incident will not be repeated.”
The spokesperson also paid tribute to Kashmiri leaders Mirwaiz Maulvi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone, martyred on May 21, 1990 and 2002, respectively. He also remembered the 70 Kashmiris killed while carrying Farooq’s coffin.
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“The lack of accountability for the gruesome slaughter of innocent Kashmiris and their leaders remains a festering injustice and a chilling example of the blatant impunity that defines the deplorable human rights situation in IIOJK. [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir]”said the spokesperson.
He urged the international community and the United Nations to take note of the situation and ensure a fair resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
Andrabi further said that Pakistan welcomed the safe arrival to Istanbul of all detainees from the Sumud Global Flotilla intercepted by Israel, including Saad Edhi, and thanked the Turkish government for its support.
He also noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz and Ishaq Dar had received a delegation of senior civil servants from Bangladesh visiting Pakistan under the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor Initiative for a three-week program at the Civil Services Academy in Lahore.
Separately, Pakistan and Russia held the 16th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability in Moscow on May 18, and both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in international forums, the spokesperson added.
