ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held separate phone calls on Saturday with the foreign ministers of Iran and Türkiye, highlighting Islamabad’s growing diplomatic engagement on regional crises after backing Tehran at the United Nations Human Rights Council and amid wider discussions on Middle East stability.

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke with Iran’s Seyed Abbas Araghchi after Islamabad voted against a resolution at the UN rights council in Geneva that sought to expand international scrutiny of Iran following a crackdown on anti-government protests that began last month and continued for several days.

“Foreign Minister Araghchi thanked DPM / FM for his strong support and Pakistan’s position at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva,” the foreign office said in a statement after the phone call.

While the resolution was adopted, Iran rejected it as “politicized” and described the council’s action as interference in its internal affairs.

Dar later spoke by phone with Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with the two leaders reviewing developments following the World Economic Forum in Davos and agreeing to remain in close contact on key regional and international matters, the foreign office said.

Pakistan and Türkiye have increasingly coordinated diplomatic positions on regional issues, including Middle East tensions, as Islamabad positions itself as an active interlocutor in multilateral forums addressing conflict and humanitarian crises.

Iran’s foreign minister also conveyed appreciation to Pakistan’s prime minister, government and people for what he described as Islamabad’s principled stance, the statement added.