ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for expanding Pakistan’s relations with Syria across trade, defense and other sectors and resuming direct flights between the two countries during talks with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani.
Al-Shaibani is leading a high-level delegation to Islamabad in the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in 19 years. His trip comes as Damascus navigates a political transition and reconstruction following the fall of longtime President Bashar Assad in December 2024.
The visit also comes amid renewed instability in the Middle East due to the US-Iran war, in which Pakistan has played a diplomatic role between Washington and Tehran, and continuing regional tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza.
“While recalling the historic and multifaceted ties between the two countries, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to translate the longstanding Pakistan-Syria friendship into enhanced cooperation across politics, defense, trade, investment, education, and human resource development,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after his meeting with Al-Shaibani.
“He stated that the resumption of direct flights between the two countries would enhance people-to-people exchanges and facilitate a large number of pilgrims who undertake religious visits to Syria from Pakistan.”
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Syria’s “unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity” and said Islamabad would “firmly support Syria’s position on the Golan Heights,” according to the statement.
The Golan Heights is a strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and effectively annexed in 1981, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Israel expanded its military presence in the area following Assad’s overthrow.
Al-Shaibani briefed Sharif on Syria’s political transition and reconstruction efforts and expressed his government’s interest in revitalizing bilateral engagement, including through the early establishment of institutional mechanisms for cooperation, the Pakistani prime minister’s office said.
Sharif also invited Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to make an official visit to Pakistan.
Earlier on Thursday, Al-Shaibani held delegation-level talks with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
“The ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments, including Palestine, the Golan Heights, Afghanistan, the situation in South Asia and developments in the Middle East,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.
The Syrian foreign minister also welcomed the recently signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and commended Islamabad’s role in promoting regional stability, including its efforts toward de-escalation between the United States and Iran, according to the foreign office.
The US-Iran war broke out in February after Israel and Washington launched joint attacks against Tehran. Pakistan has since relayed messages and proposals between Washington and Tehran and helped broker a ceasefire in April and an interim peace agreement in June.
Tensions escalated again after the US attacked Iran in July, accusing Tehran of violating the agreement by attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran denied the allegation and responded with attacks on US military bases in the Gulf.
Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday warned Gulf countries against assisting US military operations, while US President Donald Trump announced a new campaign targeting Iran’s economy and threatened penalties against countries that help or conduct business with Tehran.
