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The prolific wicket-taker took 2-25 as Sri Lanka struggled to 69-4, needing a rearguard action to save the Test.
Pakistan will be expecting to push for victory in the opening match of a two-Test series on the fifth and final day.
It was tough to negotiate spin on a fourth-day Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch, but despite a 32nd Test five-wicket haul for veteran Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath, Pakistan posted 422 to take a slender three-run lead.
Sri Lanka had made 419 in their first innings.
At the close, Kusal Mendis was batting on 16, with nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal on two, after a day of fluctuating fortunes.
Herath's 5-93 in 40 overs were well foiled by a brilliant 76 by Test debutant Haris Sohail, as initially it looked as though Sri Lanka would take a first-innings lead.
Pakistan then hit back in the second innings through Shah, who first had opener Dimuth Karunaratne caught for 10 and then dismissed first-innings centurion Chandimal, caught at slip, for seven.
Sohail followed his responsible knock by claiming Kaushal Silva's wicket, whom he trapped leg before for 25, while part-timer Asad Shafiq had Lahiru Thirimanne for seven.
The 28-year-old Sohail's impressive Test bow has come despite a career-threatening knee injury which required surgery in 2015.
"The last two years were tough for me as there was a lot of talk on my injury," he said. "But thankfully I am here and played a responsible knock. I was under pressure because we needed to take the lead, so I had to play a responsible knock which I did."
Earlier in the day, Pakistan too were struggling at 316-6 and were in danger of conceding a healthy lead with Herath using all his experience and guile.
The 39-year-old left-arm spinner, who now has 394 wickets in 84 Tests, gave his team the much-needed wicket of a resolute Azhar Ali, luring him into an uppish drive which was brilliantly caught at short mid-wicket by a diving Mendis.
Azhar's defiant knock of 85 lasted more than five hours and included four boundaries, but with his dismissal Pakistan's hopes of building a lead looked slim.
But Sohail had other ideas as he added an invaluable 50 for the ninth wicket with tail-ender Hasan Ali to lift Pakistan from 340-8.
Sohail hit seven fours and two sixes before holing out to paceman Nuwan Pradeep, who finished with 2-77.
Hasan's whirlwind 25-ball 29 featured three sixes and two fours.
The second and final Test — a day-night affair — will be played in Dubai from October 6.
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