ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar engaged his counterparts from Türkiye and Egypt on Thursday to discuss the situation in Palestine and regional developments, the foreign office said, stressing the need to support dialogue and diplomacy to resolve ongoing conflicts.

Pakistan has actively mediated between the US and Iran ever since their conflict began in February. Islamabad has also engaged regional partners Egypt and Türkiye in its efforts to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Pakistan, a key member of the OIC, has actively criticized Israel for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has repeatedly urged world powers to hold Israel accountable for alleged war crimes in occupied territories.

Dar spoke to Hakan Fidan, Türkiye’s foreign minister, over the phone on Thursday to discuss regional and international developments, including the situation in Gaza and Palestine.

“They also discussed the agenda and strategy of the forthcoming meeting of the OIC Council of Ministers, scheduled on 17-18 October in Iraq,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.

“They underscored the importance of close coordination in advancing common objectives through bilateral engagement and cooperation at multilateral fora.”

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s deputy premier, spoke separately to Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign ministers. The two leaders discussed the latest regional developments, and underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only way forward to address all issues, the Pakistani foreign office said.

“They reaffirmed the resolve to continue supporting efforts to advance dialogue and de-escalation, and agreed to remain closely engaged on all matters of mutual interest,” it added.

Pakistan has attempted to broker lasting peace between the US and Iran, as it reels from the adverse economic impacts of a global surge in food and fuel prices. Pakistani officials have vowed to carry on with efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table and broker a permanent peace deal.

While Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with Egypt, it signed a landmark trilateral defense pact with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia in August. The pact stipulates that an attack on any of the three nations will be considered an attack against all of them.