PM Shehbaz departs for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye amid Mideast crisis

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departs Nur Khan Airbase Rawalpindi for an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/s8HCixqvBG

The visit came three days after the US and Iran were unable to reach an agreement to end their war despite marathon negotiations lasting around 21 hours. The prolonged talks, aimed at halting hostilities that have killed thousands and driven global oil prices higher over the past six weeks, ended with both sides blaming each other for the impasse.

On April 11, US and Iranian delegations arrived in Pakistan for conclusive talks following a two-week immediate ceasefire "everywhere, including Lebanon," announced by PM Shehbaz, who later invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad.

In a post on X today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar would take place in a bilateral context, adding that the prime minister “will meet the leadership of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security.”

According to the MOFA, the prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, along with other senior officials.

"During the tour, the prime minister will also travel to Turkiye to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he is scheduled to attend the Leaders’ Panel alongside other world leaders," the statement said.

It added that on the sidelines of the forum, the premier was expected to hold bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other key leaders.

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Curtain Raiser : Prime Minister’s Visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye (15–18 April 2026)

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Highlighting the significance of the upcoming visit, the MOFA said Pakistan’s participation “reflects its continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and meaningful engagement with the international community on issues of global importance.”

Meetings of foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey had first convened in Riyadh on March 19, at the height of tensions between Tehran and Washington. Just ten days later, they reconvened in Islamabad as part of a coordinated push by key Muslim countries to seek an end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Read More: FM Dar calls on US, Iran to uphold ceasefire commitment after talks end without agreement

The new development emerged as Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were quietly but steadily moving towards formalising a new quadrilateral framework, as rapid developments in the Middle East push key regional players to coordinate more closely on diplomacy and security.

While officials stopped short of calling it an alliance, the pace and frequency of engagements suggest that the four-country forum is evolving into a structured grouping aimed at shaping outcomes in a volatile region.

The latest step came on Tuesday, when senior officials from the four countries met in Islamabad following up on earlier consultations between their foreign ministers. The meeting, hosted by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together top diplomats to firm up proposals that will now be presented at the upcoming foreign ministers' meeting in Antalya on April 17, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

The US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on February 28, killing thousands of people in Iran, including then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and leaving tens of thousands injured, with civilian areas, including residential buildings and religious sites, among those hit.

The conflict also expanded geographically. Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.