ISLAMABAD: World leaders have stepped up diplomatic engagement with Pakistan ahead of planned Iran-US talks in Islamabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receiving a flurry of calls on Thursday as global powers seek to sustain a two-week ceasefire declared earlier this week after an intense war in Iran while pushing for a broader settlement.
The outreach — from European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as Gulf partners such as Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa — comes as Islamabad positions itself at the center of mediation efforts following the temporary truce.
“Pakistan has become the center of global attention in the context of the Islamabad peace talks,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement, adding that leading world figures had contacted Sharif to congratulate him on Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that led to the ceasefire and opened the way for negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The diplomatic push reflects growing international stakes in the talks, expected to take place this weekend, as countries seek to prevent a relapse into a war that has already disrupted global energy routes and heightened tensions across the Middle East.
In conversations with European leaders, Sharif and his counterparts emphasized the need to ensure the ceasefire holds and that negotiations produce tangible results, while expressing concern over ongoing hostilities in Lebanon that risk undermining broader peace efforts.
By contrast, discussions with Gulf leaders focused on regional stability and mutual support, with Sharif praising the “exemplary restraint” shown by countries like Qatar and Bahrain despite weeks of attacks, while reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with them.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan, thanking the Kingdom for its support and agreeing on the need for continued diplomatic engagement to advance lasting peace.
The broader international backing to the talks was also echoed by Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who urged the parties to adopt a “conciliatory, flexible, patient, and constructive” approach in the Pakistan-hosted talks.
