- The Prime Minister reiterates strong solidarity with Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
- Two leaders discuss recent developments, regional security dynamics.
- Agree to continue working together to promote peace and stability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia as he told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Islamabad will stand firm with the kingdom in challenging times and continue working with it for peace in the region.
Pakistan has stepped up diplomacy after the Iran War – which was caused by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, killed the country’s supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict – with Prime Minister Shehbaz and DPM/FM Dar addressing their counterparts in the region as well as the Gulf nations to play their part in easing regional tensions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz’s remarks came during a limited 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 appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s longstanding support to 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 handout, the two sides held detailed discussions on developments in 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 challenging times,” the Prime Minister’s Media Wing stated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan values its longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia and will continue to strive for the common goal of regional harmony.
“The Prime Minister assured His Royal Highness that Pakistan will always stand firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and strive for their mutual desire for peace in the region,” it added.
Middle East tensions
Pakistan has stepped up diplomacy after the Iran War – which was caused by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, killed the country’s supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict – with Prime Minister Shehbaz and DPM/FM Dar addressing their counterparts in the region as well as the Gulf nations to play their part in easing regional tensions.
Iran has targeted US bases as well as targets in the Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, and has also closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices skyrocketing – and warning the world should be ready for $200 a barrel. barrel.
Meanwhile, Defense Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting last week where both sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the framework of the joint strategic defense agreement between the two nations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) last September, which treats an attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both.
In a statement released on X early Saturday, 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 “wrong calculations”.
Saudi Arabia intercepted two drones heading for the Shaybah oil field on Thursday as Iran targets the facility again in its campaign to disrupt global energy markets.
“Two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed,” a spokesman for the country’s defense ministry wrote on X.
It happened after Saudi Arabia confirmed on Wednesday that it had prevented several drone attacks against the facility, which is crucial for the country’s oil production.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, the prime minister’s foreign media spokesman Mohsarraf Zaidi recently said that there is no doubt that Islamabad will come to Riyadh’s aid “no matter what and no matter when”.
Although Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed regret over strikes in regional countries, Tehran has maintained that it will target the sites used to launch attacks on its soil.
The prime minister’s spokesman Zaidi emphasized that Islamabad and Riyadh have always “operated on the principle of being there for the other”.
