Says 10 Pakistanis remain in custody of Somali pirates and contact has been established with Somali government
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi speaking at FO’s weekly press briefing. SCREEN CAPTURE
Pakistan reiterated on Thursday that its position on the Abraham Accords remains unchanged and emphasized that the country continues to support a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
The clarification came during the weekly press conference in Islamabad by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, who described the past two weeks as marked by “very hectic diplomatic engagements,” despite the Eid holidays.
He said the period included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visits to China, New York and Washington, as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kalla Kaja’s visit to Pakistan.
Giving details of the Prime Minister’s visit to China, the spokesperson said that it was made at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China from May 23 to 26. During the visit, Shehbaz met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
He added that the prime minister also chaired a Pakistan-China B2B investment conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, focusing on IT and telecom, battery energy storage and agriculture. A detailed joint statement was issued after the visit. DPM/FM Dar accompanied the Prime Minister to China, before traveling directly from Beijing to New York for his engagements between May 26 and 28.
🔴LIVE: Spokesperson’s Weekly Press Conference 04-06-2026 at Ministry of External Affairs, Islamabad
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Andrabi said that in New York, Dar participated in the UN Security Council’s open debate on maintaining international peace and security, focused on upholding the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system. He also attended the Group of Friends on Global Governance, which discussed reforms to global governance and the challenges it faces.
On the sidelines, the deputy prime minister held bilateral meetings with several foreign ministers and senior UN officials, including the UN Secretary-General and his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Panama and Portugal.
On May 29, Dar met with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio in Washington, DC. According to the spokesperson, “the two leaders appreciated the positive trajectory of bilateral relations over the past year.” He said they discussed “wide-ranging issues of mutual interest” and agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, economic relations, cultural cooperation, counterterrorism and security.”
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He added that “the US side recognized Pakistan’s diplomatic and media efforts” and praised the continued coordination between the two countries.
Andrabi said Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach also continued on regional stability, including contacts with Egypt, Iran and Kuwait on developments in the Middle East and the Gulf.
It noted that upon his return to Islamabad, Dar held calls with the Foreign Minister of Egypt, the Foreign Minister of Iran and the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, discussing “the evolution of regional and national events.”
He also said the prime minister had multiple phone conversations, including a call with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on June 4, and earlier calls with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
“These were part of our efforts for regional peace, security and overall regional development,” the spokesperson said.
Another key development was the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to Pakistan on June 1, he said. During the visit, the two sides “co-chaired the eighth session of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, the highest-level platform for structured discussions between the two sides.”
He added that he also visited President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and that the visit “underlined the sustained momentum of high-level political engagement.”
A Pakistan-EU joint statement was also issued, he noted.
Towards the end of the briefing, the spokesperson referred to a joint statement by the foreign ministers of eight countries (Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan) strongly condemning Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and reaffirming support for a two-state solution.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there was “no change in policy” and that Pakistan continues to support the establishment of a “sovereign and independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
During question hour, Andrabi said that 10 Pakistanis were still in the custody of Somali pirates and that contact had been established with the Somali government and efforts were being made to ensure their safe return.
