Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said he spoke with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, and promised Islamabad’s help in bringing peace to the region.
The pair have spoken several times in the last month, notably to exchange Ramadan and Eid greetings but also to reaffirm Pakistan’s hope for an end to the conflict with the United States and Israel.
Sharif said he extended greetings to Pezeshkian for the Persian new year and they also discussed “the grave situation in the Gulf region and agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy”.
In a post on X, he said Pakistan was also committed to playing “a constructive role in advancing peace in the region”.
Pakistan, currently embroiled in its own conflict with neighbouring Afghanistan, shares a border with Iran in its southwest, and has been treading a fine diplomatic line since the start of the war.
The country, which fears a cut in vital supplies of oil and gas from the Gulf, has had a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia since last year, cementing long-standing defence ties.
The agreement states that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.
Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir were both in Riyadh earlier this month and met de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
At the same time, the government in Islamabad has condemned the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which sparked deadly riots at US diplomatic missions across the country.
It has also sent congratulations to Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, after he was appointed successor.
Shia Muslims make up about 10-15 percent of Pakistan’s population.
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