FO declines to confirm or deny CDF Asim Munir’s Iran visit
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Anbrabi speaks at a press briefing on May 22, 2026. SCREENGRAB
The Foreign Office on Friday declined to confirm or deny reports of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir visiting Iran, offering no comment amid an active week of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in the region.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi neither confirmed nor denied the reported visit to Tehran. The development came as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi undertook two visits to Iran on May 16 and May 20, during which he held meetings with the Iranian leadership.
Meanwhile, Andrabi announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26 at the invitation of the Chinese government.
He said the visit carries “special significance” as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and would provide an opportunity to reaffirm the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
According to the spokesperson, PM Shehbaz is scheduled to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. "The two sides will review bilateral relations, cooperation in political, economic, and strategic domains, with particular focus on high-quality development, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agriculture modernisation, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges," he said.
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Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Undertake Official Visit to China https://t.co/XBGEvIy7MS
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Pd2xrzCCVdThe prime minister will begin his visit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where he will chair a Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Conference covering sectors such as IT, telecom, energy, energy storage, and agriculture. In Beijing, he will also attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to mark the anniversary celebrations.
"The visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen political trust, strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the long-standing friendship between the two countries," Andrabi said.
Responding to questions, the spokesperson said the ongoing US-Iran talks could also come up during PM Shehbaz’s meetings with the Chinese leadership.
He added that Pakistan and China already shared established trust on Middle East affairs and recalled that both sides had agreed on a five-point agenda during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent visit to China.
The spokesperson said Pakistan continued its diplomatic efforts for peace, dialogue, and de-escalation amid tensions in the Middle East and Gulf region.
He further noted that PM Shehbaz held two telephone conversations over the past week with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during which both leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s peace efforts.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path towards lasting peace and stability.
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Andrabi added that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also remained actively engaged with regional counterparts as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach.
On May 18, Dar held a telephone conversation with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, while on May 17 he spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty regarding regional developments and multilateral engagement.
On May 16, Dar also spoke with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov on bilateral relations and regional affairs.
The spokesperson further reaffirmed Pakistan’s condemnation of two drone attacks carried out on May 17 targeting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, expressing solidarity with both countries.
Referring to the attack involving the UAE, Anbrabi warned, "Any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constitutes a grave violation of international law.” He added, “Nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances, and we hope that this tragic and grave incident will not recur."
The spokesperson also paid tribute to Kashmiri leaders Mirwaiz Maulvi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone, who were martyred on May 21 in 1990 and 2002, respectively. He also remembered the 70 Kashmiris killed while carrying Farooq’s coffin.
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"The lack of accountability for the gruesome killing of innocent Kashmiris and their leaders remains a festering injustice and a chilling example of the brazen impunity that defines the deplorable human rights situation in IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir]," the spokesperson said.
He urged the international community and the United Nations to take notice of the situation and ensure a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
Andrabi further said Pakistan welcomed the safe arrival in Istanbul of all detainees from the Israel-intercepted Global Sumud Flotilla, including Saad Edhi, and thanked the Turkish government for its support.
He also noted that PM Shehbaz and Ishaq Dar had received a delegation of senior Bangladeshi civil servants visiting Pakistan under the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor Initiative for a three-week programme at the Civil Services Academy in Lahore.
Separately, Pakistan and Russia held the 16th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability in Moscow on May 18, with both sides agreeing to enhance cooperation at international forums, the spokesperson added.