- The Prime Minister reiterates his strong solidarity with the Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
- Two leaders discuss recent events and regional security dynamics.
- We agree to continue working together to promote peace and stability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia and told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Islamabad would firmly support the Kingdom in difficult times and continue to work with it for peace in the region.
Pakistan has stepped up diplomacy after the Iran war, which was caused by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict, with Prime Minister Shehbaz and Foreign Minister/Minister Dar speaking to their counterparts in the region, as well as in the Gulf nations, to play their role in easing regional tensions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz’s remarks came during a restricted meeting between the two leaders in Jeddah, where they discussed recent regional developments and the need for close cooperation to promote stability across the Middle East.
At the beginning 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 his gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s long-standing support for Pakistan.
Senior Pakistani officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were also present during the meeting.
According to the official document, the two sides held detailed discussions on the development of 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 wing states.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan values its long-standing relationship with Saudi Arabia and will continue to strive for the shared goal of regional harmony.
“The Prime Minister assured His Royal Highness that Pakistan will always firmly support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and fight for their mutual desire for peace in the region,” he added.
Following the high-level interaction in Jeddah, Prime Minister Shehbaz left Saudi Arabia for Pakistan.
Tensions in the Middle East
Pakistan has stepped up diplomacy after the Iran war, which was caused by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict, with Prime Minister Shehbaz and Foreign Minister/Minister Dar speaking to their counterparts in the region, as well as in the Gulf nations, to play their role in easing regional tensions.
Iran has attacked US bases as well as targets in Gulf nations including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, and has also closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending the price of oil soaring, warning that the world should be prepared for $200 a barrel.
Meanwhile, Defense Forces Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting last week in which both sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom under the joint strategic defense agreement between the two nations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the historic Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) in September last year, which treats 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 stop 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 making “erroneous calculations.”
Saudi Arabia intercepted two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field on Thursday, as Iran again attacks 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 Ministry of Defense posted on X.
It came after Saudi Arabia confirmed on Wednesday that it had prevented several drone attacks on the facility, which is crucial to the country’s oil production.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, the prime minister’s foreign media spokesman, Mohsarraf Zaidi, recently said it is unquestionable that Islamabad will come to Riyadh’s aid “no matter what and no matter when.”
Although Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed regret over the attacks on countries in the region, Tehran has maintained that it will attack those sites that are used to launch attacks on its territory.
The prime minister’s spokesman, Zaidi, stressed that Islamabad and Riyadh have always “acted on the principle of being there for each other.”
