Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a meeting with the Iranian president, has said that Pakistan is playing a “sincere and constructive role” in trying to ensure peace in the Middle East and building on the agreements reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

The premier says in a social media post that he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the COP31 summit in Turkiye, where both leaders “reaffirmed the deep and enduring bonds between Pakistan and Iran … and agreed to further strengthen our cooperation”.

“I conveyed Pakistan’s deep concern over the prolonged conflict in our region. Dialogue, restraint, de-escalation and sustained diplomacy are the only path to lasting peace,” PM Shehbaz writes.

“Building on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU, Pakistan continues to play a sincere and constructive role for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”