ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for Saudi Arabia, his office said, amid an ongoing crisis in the Middle East due to the United States-Israeli war on Iran.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have faced waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks since Israel and the US launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. The attacks have targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, the US embassy in Riyadh, oil fields and energy infrastructure.
On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with PM Sharif as Islamabad hosted a meeting with Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian foreign ministers to deliberate upon an end to the crisis that has disrupted global energy and cargo supplies and threatened regional economies.
Sharif’s office said the prime minister shared with the Saudi foreign minister Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic outreach during the current crisis, including the mediation efforts for de-escalation and bringing both the US and Iran to the negotiating table.
“The Prime Minster appreciated the remarkable restraint exercised by Saudi Arabia amid the current crisis and assured the Saudi Foreign Minister that Pakistan would always stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“While emphasizing the Kingdom’s leadership role in the Muslim Ummah, the Prime Minister stressed upon the need to forge unity within the Islamic countries at this critical time.”
The Saudi foreign minister shared with the prime minister the latest Saudi perspective on the regional situation, according to the statement.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to continue to coordinate their positions closely in order to secure peace and stability in the region,” it added.
Also on Sunday, Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan and Egyptian FM Dr. Badr Abdelatty held a meeting with Sharif at the Prime Minister’s house in Islamabad, according to Sharif’s office. Pakistani FM Ishaq Dar and National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik also attended the meeting.
This month, Sharif also visited the Kingdom and held an in-depth exchange of views with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the regional developments, according to Sharif’s office. Both leaders agreed to work together for regional peace at a time of increased volatility in the region.
Prior to the meeting, Sharif’s spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi told Bloomberg TV that Islamabad would come to Riyadh’s aid whenever required, emphasizing the longstanding security partnership between the two countries, which was further strengthened by a mutual defense pact signed in September last year.
There was “no question we might, we will” come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “no matter what and no matter when,” Zaidi said. “Both countries, even before the defense agreement, have always operated on the principle of being there for the other.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historically maintained close military and strategic ties, and the new agreement has elevated their security cooperation.
