Pakistan, Turkiye leaders vow diplomatic push to halt Israel’s military campaigns in Mideast

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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar (right) and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir (left) meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on June 21, 2025. (MOFA)
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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar (second left) and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir (left) meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (center) on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on June 21, 2025. (PID)
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Updated 21 June 2025
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Pakistan, Turkiye leaders vow diplomatic push to halt Israel’s military campaigns in Mideast

  • The Middle East situation came up during a meeting between Ishaq Dar, Asim Munir and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • Both sides stressed the urgency of halting ‘Israeli aggression’ in Gaza, ensuring unhindered humanitarian aid

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday and agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to halt Israel’s military campaigns in the Middle East, as regional tensions threaten to escalate further.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, where Muslim-majority nations are grappling with regional crises.

Two of the bloc’s key members — Pakistan and Iran — have recently faced military escalations with regional adversaries. While Pakistan’s brief but intense standoff with India last month ended in a ceasefire, Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, launched over a week ago, have shown no signs of letting up.

“The leaders [of Pakistan and Turkiye] expressed strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks in blatant violation of fundamental principles of international law, reiterated support for Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and its right to self-defense under the UN Charter, agreed to continue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation and urged the international community to play its part in restoring peace and stability in the region,” the Foreign Office in Islamabad said in a statement.

“Both sides emphasized the urgency of galvanizing efforts to bring an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression in Gaza and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza,” the statement added.

As Iran and Israel continue to trade fire, European and regional powers are racing to contain the conflict and bring Iran back to the negotiating table to resume nuclear negotiations that broke down when Israel launched its strike on Tehran and other cities.

During Saturday’s meeting, Dar underscored Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Turkiye.

The two sides reaffirmed their desire to deepen cooperation, particularly in light of Turkiye’s diplomatic support for Pakistan during last month’s flare-up with India, which saw both nuclear-armed neighbors exchange missiles, drone fire and airstrikes before tensions subsided under international pressure.

Dar also congratulated Erdoğan on receiving an award from the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum in recognition of his leadership and the successful organization of the ongoing OIC ministerial session.


Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

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Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

  • Around 435 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 630 injured in Pakistani military offensive, minister says
  • Several countries, global bodies have urged both sides to exercise restraint since the conflict began last week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army struck a drone storage facility and ammunition depot of Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad, a Pakistani security official said on Monday, following Pakistani strikes on more than 50 locations in Afghanistan amid ongoing hostilities between the neighbors.

Pakistan launched Operation ‘Ghazb lil Haq’ against Afghanistan on the night of Feb. 26 following an attack by Afghanistan on Pakistani military installations along their shared border.

The worst fighting between the two neighbors in years erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad called militant hideouts inside Afghanistan on Feb. 21-22, accusing Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants behind the attacks on its soil. Afghanistan denies the charge.

A Pakistani security official, who requested anonymity, said the army was continuing “strong retaliatory action” against the Afghan Taliban and blew up multiple border posts, forcing them to abandon their positions.

“Pakistan forces are effectively targeting the bases and military installations of the Fitna Al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban,” he said.

“During the effective counter-operation of the Pakistani forces, the ammunition depot and drone storage site of Fitna Al-Khawarij (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad was destroyed.”

Separately, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said more than 400 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and over 630 wounded in the Pakistani military offensive so far.

Pakistan destroyed around 188 check posts and captured 31, according to a post on X by Tarar. Over 180 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed in Pakistani air raids at 51 locations across Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Pakistani state media shared a video of what it said were Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan in the northwest to capture an Afghan post. Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area of Afghanistan, another Pakistani security official said.

Afghan officials earlier said that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been killed and several Pakistan posts had been captured by their forces. None of the casualty figures or battlefield claims from either side could be independently verified.

Since the conflict began last week, diplomatic efforts have intensified, with several countries and international bodies calling on both sides to exercise restraint.

The United Nations, along with China and Russia, has called for calm, while US President Donald Trump said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.