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Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that at a quadrilateral moot on the ongoing Middle East crisis, he and his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt discussed ways to bring an \u201cearly and permanent end to the war in the region\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said this while speaking to the media in Islamabad after the quadrilateral consultations.<\/p>\n
Dar said he had also held \u201cvery productive\u201d bilateral meetings with the three foreign ministers, who also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you know, the purpose of this visit of the foreign ministers was to participate in the second meeting of consultations among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, which was held today in Islamabad.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may recall that our first meeting was held in Riyadh on March 19, 2026,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Sharing details of today\u2019s quadrilateral meeting, Dar said the four foreign ministers had a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also discussed possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dar said the four participants also expressed concerns that the ongoing conflict was \u201cextremely unfortunate for its devastating impact on lives and livelihood across the wider region\u201d.<\/p>\n
Convened at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the participants of the quadrilateral meeting discussed issues of mutual interest, the FO said.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n After the moot ended, Dar posted on X that he was pleased to welcome the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt to Islamabad for consultations.<\/p>\n \u201cGrateful for their presence at this critical moment, reflecting our strong fraternal ties. Our candid and constructive discussions focus on the evolving regional situation and advancing peace and stability, while strengthening our partnership and deepening cooperation across diverse domains,\u201d he posted on X.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The quadrilateral mechanism<\/a> is being viewed as a key diplomatic track feeding into wider efforts to end the conflict, with a focus on consolidating regional backing for de-escalation, aligning positions ahead of any possible US-Iran talks, and facilitating dialogue.<\/p>\n Though neither Washington nor Tehran attended the meet, it is still being viewed as a preparatory step toward a broader diplomatic opening.<\/p>\n Egyptian FM Abdelatty and Turkiye\u2019s FM Hakan Fidan landed in Pakistan on Saturday night, while Saudi Arabia\u2019s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n Several roads leading to Islamabad\u2019s Red Zone \u2014 where key government buildings and diplomatic missions are based \u2014 were sealed off, AFP<\/em> reporters said.<\/p>\n Security was tight and the driveway of the foreign ministry was decorated with the flags of all four countries.<\/p>\n Before the quadrilateral moot, Dar also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n He and T\u00fcrkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in their meeting at the FO ahead of the larger talks, \u201creaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s commitment to expanding cooperation with T\u00fcrkiye across all sectors of mutual interest\u201d, according to an FO press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n During the meeting, Dar \u201cunderscored the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect\u201d.<\/p>\n The deputy premier expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe discussions provided an opportunity to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues for strengthening the longstanding strategic partnership between the two brotherly countries,\u201d the FO statement read.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two leaders also exchanged views on recent regional developments, including the evolving situation in Iran, and emphasised the importance of dialogue and sustained diplomatic engagement to promote peace and stability,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n Both sides reaffirmed their \u201cunwavering support for each other\u2019s core national interests, agreed to maintain close coordination, and to continue working together to deepen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye\u201d, the FO noted.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Prior to the discussions with the Turkish FM, Dar held a separate meeting with Egyptian FM Dr Badr Abdelatty, with the two reaffirming their countries\u2019 \u201ccommitment to further strengthening cooperation across all domains\u201d, the FO said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Abdelatty\u2019s visit is regarded as a \u201cfollow-up to recent high-level contacts between the two sides\u201d, including discussions held in Riyadh<\/a> earlier this month, as well as the Egyptian FM\u2019s Pakistan trip<\/a> in Nov 2025, during which he met with Dar, President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Field Mar\u00adshal Asim Munir.<\/p>\n The FO said the meetings reflect the \u201cclose coordination between Pakistan and Egypt on evolving regional developments\u201d.<\/p>\n As both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, they expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of defence and security cooperation, agreeing to further strengthen collaboration through training exchanges and other institutional mechanisms, the FO said.<\/p>\n They stressed the need to enhance bilateral trade and investment, with agreement on the importance of activating bilateral mechanisms, including a Joint Ministerial Commission, and promoting business-to-business linkages.<\/p>\n Dar \u201cappreciated Egypt\u2019s continued support in the health sector, particularly in combating Hepatitis-C, and welcomed ongoing collaboration in this area\u201d, the statement further said.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Discussing the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the two sides \u201cunderscored the need for restraint, de-escalation, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy\u201d, the FO said.<\/p>\n Both sides were satisfied with the positive momentum generated through recent high-level exchanges.<\/p>\n Dar had welcomed his Egyptian counterpart at the MoFA and \u201creaffirmed that Pakistan attaches great importance to its longstanding and brotherly relations with Egypt, anchored in shared history, common faith, and a convergence of views on regional and international issues\u201d.<\/p>\n He reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and strongly condemned the continued aggression by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n He appreciated Egypt\u2019s role<\/a> in facilitating humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including support extended to Pakistan\u2019s relief efforts.<\/p>\n Both sides agreed to continue \u201cclose coordination\u201d at multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).<\/p>\n \u201cThe meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Egypt to further strengthen their close and brotherly relations and to deepen cooperation across all areas of mutual interest,\u201d the FO observed.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Dar also held a separate meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the FO said, adding that the two leaders held detailed discussions on the evolving regional and international developments.<\/p>\n \u201cThey underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and collective efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region,\u201d according to the FO.<\/p>\n It further stated that the two sides reaffirmed \u201ctheir commitment for closer engagement\u201d and agreed to continue working together at bilateral and multilateral levels to further strengthen cooperation and contribute to regional peace and prosperity.<\/p>\n Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic outreach as it attempts to de-escalate Middle East hostilities sparked by the United States and Israel\u2019s strikes on Iran<\/a> on February 28, which have engulfed the entire region as Tehran continues its retaliatory attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Islamabad has been engaging Washington, Gulf capitals and other Muslim countries in an effort to create space for talks.<\/p>\n The quadrilateral meeting was initially planned to be held in Turkiye, but at the last moment it was shifted to Islamabad due to Dar\u2019s inability to travel because of his involvement in Pakistani efforts to facilitate the US-Iran talks.<\/p>\n A diplomatic source said talks in Islamabad could take place around Tuesday, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.<\/p>\n Another diplomat closely following the talks said there is an expectation that Washington could announce a ceasefire to coincide with the start of dialogue, in line with Tehran\u2019s demand for confidence-building measures. However, the diplomatic source cautioned that all this remained subject to how events would unfold over the next 48 hours.<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s FM Johann Wadephul on Friday claimed that a direct US-Iran meeting would take place in Pakistan \u201cvery soon\u201d.<\/p>\n More to follow<\/em><\/p>\n Additional input from AFP<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Meeting with Turkish FM<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Meeting with Egypt FM Abdelatty<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Meeting with Saudi FM<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic outreach for peace<\/h2>\n
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