Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to undertake an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkiye from July 3-5, Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday.
The spokesperson, at the weekly press briefing, said that the prime minister would travel to Iran first to participate in the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei.
He said that the prime minister would convey condolences on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families while reaffirming solidarity with the brotherly nation in their hour of profound grief.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would proceed to Istanbul, Turkiye, at the invitation of the President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where he would hold discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations with a special focus on giving impetus to bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the two brotherly countries. The leadership meeting would also reflect on issues concerning regional peace and security, he added.
During his stay in Istanbul, the prime minister would also address a business conference being hosted by Pakistan to spotlight Pakistan’s trade and investment potential in priority areas, including the SEZs, energy, trade, Information Technology, and privatisation sectors.
The Foreign Office spokesperson also highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States following the recent tensions in the Gulf region.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s rejection of India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, describing the move as illegal, unilateral and without any basis.
Referring to a seminar on the treaty held in Islamabad, he said participants called for upholding the agreement and rejected the weaponisation of water. He maintained that water could not be used as a tool of coercion and accused India of attempting to use terrorism allegations as a pretext to obstruct Pakistan’s lawful share of the Indus waters.
The spokesperson also announced the safe arrival in Karachi of the 22 Iranian crew members rescued from an interdicted vessel, adding that Pakistan had now facilitated the repatriation of more than 70 Iranian nationals.
He said UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Miguel Angel Moratinos called on Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar during his visit to Islamabad, where Pakistan reaffirmed its support for finalising the United Nations (UN) Action Plan to Combat Islamophobia.
On security, the spokesperson said Pakistan remained committed to eliminating terrorism following recent intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He said strong demarches had been issued to the Afghan authorities over the Karachi terrorist attack, reiterating Pakistan’s concerns over the use of Afghan soil and nationals in terrorist incidents inside the country.