ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departed from Lahore for Turkiye on Sunday, marking the first leg of a four-nation official visit to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss regional and international issues.
Prime Minister Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
The Prime Minister will visit Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan till the 30th of this month.
“During the visit, the Prime Minister will have wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.
He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India.
وزیر اعظم پاکستان محمد شہباز شریف چار ملکی دورے کے پہلے مرحلے میں ترکیہ کے دورے پر روانہ. انکے ہمراہ نائب وزیراعظم و وزیر خارجہ محمد اسحاق ڈار، وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات و نشریات عطا اللہ تارڑ اور معاون خصوصی طارق فاطمی ہیں۔
وزیر اعظم پاکستان محمد شہباز شریف 25 سے 30 مئی 2025 تک ترکی،… pic.twitter.com/6eW3FRTLFn
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) May 25, 2025
The Prime Minister will also be attending the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to be held on 29-30 May.
It is worth mentioning that the brotherly Islamic nations of Turkey and Azerbaijan had publicly declared their support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that Turkey would stand by the people of Pakistan in both good and difficult times.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks with PM Shehbaz in Istanbul later today, Erdogan’s head of communications Fahrettin Altun said on X.
“During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism, will be discussed,” Altun said.
Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, bugün İstanbul’daki Dolmabahçe Çalışma Ofisinde Pakistan Başbakanı Sayın Şahbaz Şerif’i kabul edeceklerdir.
Sayın Cumhurbaşkanımızın Sayın Şerif’i kabulünde, Türkiye-Pakistan ikili ilişkileri çeşitli veçheleriyle değerlendirilecek;…
— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) May 25, 2025
Altun said “various aspects of bilateral relations between Turkiye and Pakistan will be evaluated”, according to a Google translation of his post.
The Turkish official said that joint steps taken within the scope of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council as per the two leaders’ last meeting in February will be reviewed.
While in Tajikistan — likely the last leg of his tour — the premier will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers being held in its capital, Dushanbe, on May 29 and 30.
As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalated, with India launching deadly strikes on Pakistan on May 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had conveyed his solidarity to the prime minister and said it supported Pakistan’s “calm and restrained policies”.
Following the tit-for-tat airbase attacks and a US-brokered ceasefire between the two neighbours, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev had “warmly congratulated PM Sharif upon Pakistan’s remarkable success”, according to the PM Office.
Iran had also offered to mediate during the escalation and paid a visit to both Islamabad and New Delhi in peace efforts, which were appreciated by PM Sharif and the military’s spokesperson.
The diplomatic support voiced by Turkiye and Azerbaijan stoked anger in India as people cancelled their holidays in popular resorts in the two countries.
PM Sharif’s tour adds to Pakistan’s spree of diplomatic engagement amid tensions with New Delhi.
Earlier today, Dar held a telephonic conversation with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, where views were “exchanged on the current regional situation”.
The two leaders discussed existing bilateral relations, particularly the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, today held a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich @FM_Saidov.
The two leaders discussed existing bilateral relations ,… pic.twitter.com/OBAO5i2XIx
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 25, 2025
They expressed the hope that the framework agreement for the regional connectivity project would be finalised soon.
A high-level diplomatic delegation is also set to visit important world capitals to counter Indian propaganda related to the escalation and the deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“The delegation will visit London, Washington, Paris and Brussels to highlight India’s disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilise regional peace,” Radio Pakistan had said.
