ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi left for Moscow on Wednesday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM) and said he would discuss with his Russian counterpart the construction of a gas pipeline due to be built by Russia and stretching 1,100 km (680 miles) from Lahore to the port city of Karachi.
US sanctions against Russian state conglomerate Rostec, as well as a dispute over North-South pipeline transport fees, have held up the $2 billion project since it was signed in 2015.
The North-South pipeline would be the biggest infrastructure deal by Russia since the early 1970s, when Soviet engineers constructed the Pakistan Steel Mills industrial complex.
“North South gas pipeline is a project that can greatly benefit Pakistan,” Qureshi said in a video message before leaving for Moscow. “I am hopeful that we will discuss it and there is a possibility of progress.”
He said a meeting had been set up with the foreign minister of Russia, adding: “I believe that in the coming days there is a bright possibility that our ties with Russia will grow. I see the possibility of a long term, multidimensional partnership.”
Qureshi said Pakistan would also hold discussions with the heads of central asian nations to see how “volume of trade” could be increased and the economic prosperity of the region promoted through Pakistan’s southwestern Gwadar port, which Pakistan plans, with China’s help, to turn into a trans-shipment hub and megaport to be built alongside special economic zones from which export-focused industries will ship goods worldwide.
Qureshi also said the SCO meetings in Moscow would bring together countries with a “deep interest” in peace and stability in Afghanistan where talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government are about to start to find a solution to a 19-year-long civil war.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a security grouping comprising Russia, China and four ex-Soviet states in Central Asia. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.
“Since becoming a [SCO] member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing in working toward achieving SCO’s multi-sectoral agenda through participation in various SCO mechanisms,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Initially focused on regional security, including border conflicts, terrorism and militant Islam, the SCO’s activities have expanded to cover economics and trade, transport and law enforcement. Security and economic cooperation remain priorities.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers will go on from September 9-10.
Hopeful of ‘progress’ on 1,100 Lahore-Karachi gas pipeline during Moscow visit — FM Qureshi
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Hopeful of ‘progress’ on 1,100 Lahore-Karachi gas pipeline during Moscow visit — FM Qureshi
- Shah Mahmood Qureshi leaves for Russia to attend two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers
- Will meet Russian foreign minister, says ‘bright possibility’ of a ‘long term, multidimensional partnership’ with Russia
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
