ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Istanbul to discuss bilateral ties and strategic cooperation, as he held a series of diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers.
The talks came as the escalating crisis in the Middle East, particularly Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its recent strikes inside Iran, dominated the agenda of the high-level summit, drawing sharp rebukes from several Muslim countries including Pakistan.
“Delighted to meet my brother, HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Istanbul,” Dar said in a social media post. “We reaffirmed the deep-rooted brotherly ties between our two countries & explored avenues to further strengthen our strategic cooperation across all sectors.”
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The meeting underscored Pakistan’s close relations with Saudi Arabia, which has extended critical financial support to help Islamabad navigate a prolonged economic crisis in recent years. The Kingdom played a key role in unlocking a crucial loan program from the International Monetary Fund and remains Pakistan’s largest source of worker remittances, a major pillar of the country’s economy.
Dar also met Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya to discuss expanding trade and investment ties, amid Pakistan’s efforts to attract Gulf investment and secure more employment opportunities for its workers in the region.
“Met my dear brother Abdullah Al-Yahya, Foreign Minister of Kuwait, on the sidelines of the 51st OIC CFM in Istanbul,” he said. “We discussed Pak–Kuwait bilateral ties, trade & investment, cooperation within OIC, and regional & international developments of mutual concern. Grateful for Kuwait’s steadfast support, especially amidst recent escalations [with India].”
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Dar also held a meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu to reaffirm strong bilateral ties and explore opportunities for regional connectivity.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure, with Dar welcoming a planned high-level visit from Kazakhstan to Pakistan in October 2025 to strengthen the partnership further.
Islamabad has repeatedly highlighted the importance of ties with Central Asian states, offering its southern ports as a gateway for the landlocked region to access international markets through sea trade.
Pakistan’s foreign minister meets Saudi, Kuwaiti and Kazakh counterparts on OIC sidelines
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Pakistan’s foreign minister meets Saudi, Kuwaiti and Kazakh counterparts on OIC sidelines
- Ishaq Dar and Prince Faisal bin Farhan discuss avenues to strengthen ‘strategic cooperation across all sectors’
- Dar also focuses on enhanced trade and investment in talks with the Kuwaiti and Kazakh foreign ministers
Pakistan says it is targeting militant infrastructure in Afghanistan as Kabul threatens to hit Islamabad
- Ata Tarar says Pakistan is carrying out ‘precise intelligence-based operations’ to avoid civilian casualties
- Afghan defense minister says the underlying dispute between the two sides is over the ‘Durand Line’ border
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Saturday it was conducting intelligence-based operations against militant infrastructure inside Afghanistan while attempting to avoid civilian casualties, as a senior Afghan Taliban official warned Kabul could retaliate by targeting Islamabad if Pakistani forces struck the Afghan capital.
The escalating rhetoric comes as cross-border fighting between the two neighbors intensifies following clashes that began last month when Afghan forces launched attacks on Pakistani military installations along the frontier. Kabul said the assault was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes targeting what Islamabad called militant camps inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said last week the situation had effectively become “open war” between the two countries.
“Pakistan is only targeting terrorist infrastructures and support system with precise intelligence based operations ensuring no collateral damage takes place,” Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said in a statement.
He challenged the recent claims made by an Afghan defense ministry spokesperson earlier this week who said his country was making significant battlefield gains against Pakistan including the killing of 109 soldiers and the capture or destruction of 14 military posts in large scale attacks.
“These so called attacks by Afghan Taliban in coordination with FAK [Fitna Al Khawarij] Terrorists once again confirm the nexus of Afghan Taliban regime and multiple terrorist organizations operating from within their territory,” Tarar continued. “All such attempts are responded to, immediately and effectively with severe retributive punishment that is swift, precise and effective.”
“The imaginary numbers being floated by Afghan Taliban regime are however not worth any serious comment,” he added.
Tarar said Pakistan’s military campaign — described as Operation Ghazb Lil Haq — had inflicted heavy losses on Afghan Taliban forces.
According to figures shared by the minister, 527 Taliban fighters had been killed and more than 755 injured since the clashes began, while 237 check posts were destroyed and 38 captured and destroyed. He said 205 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were destroyed and 62 locations across Afghanistan had been targeted by air strikes.
Arab News could not independently verify the claims made by either side.
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
Earlier this week, the United Nations raised concern over the toll of the escalating conflict on civilians.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Friday that 56 Afghan civilians — nearly half of them children — had been killed since hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified.
However, Tarar questioned the UN findings, saying its assertions appeared to rely heavily on information provided by Taliban authorities and did not adequately reflect independently verified intelligence.
“Pakistan categorically reiterates that all counter-terrorism operations conducted by its security forces are carried out with the highest degree of precision, professionalism, and responsibility,” he said.
Islamabad has long accused the Taliban government of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan soil, a charge Kabul denies.
“Operations are meticulously planned so that civilian areas remain completely safe,” the minister said. “The locations targeted are remote terrorist hideouts and facilities far removed from populated zones, including sensitive areas such as Kabul’s Green Zone.”
AFGHAN WARNING
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob issued a warning to Pakistan in remarks circulated by Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews.
“If Kabul lacks peace, there will be no peace in Islamabad. If Kabul is attacked, Islamabad will be attacked,” Yaqoob said in a promotional clip of an interview shared on social media.
Yaqoob rejected Pakistan’s justification that the presence of the TTP in Afghanistan warranted military action and suggested the underlying dispute was over the contested “Durand Line” border between the two countries.
So far, there has been no official response from Pakistan to Yaqoob’s remarks.
