Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday updated Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an hour-long phone call on Pakistan’s efforts to advance peace and facilitate dialogue in the region, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In a post uploaded on X platform, PM Shehbaz Sharif said “Held a detailed telephone conversation with my brother President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran earlier today, lasting over one hour. I reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks on Iran, including recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, and conveyed Pakistan’s solidarity with the brave people of Iran.”
He further said “I expressed, once again, my condolences on the tragic loss of precious lives and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and displaced.”
Shehbaz Sharif said “I also thanked him for his appreciation of Pakistan’s sincere efforts to advance peace and facilitate dialogue in the region.”
“I apprised him of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic outreach - engaging the United States and brotherly Gulf and Islamic countries - to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation,” he added.
The pair has spoken previously in recent weeks about the conflict and Pakistan's commitment to bringing it to an end.
A separate Pakistan Foreign Ministry source earlier told AFP that the quadrilateral meeting also involving foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt would take place on Monday, with delegations expected to arrive in Pakistan by Sunday evening.
Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as the conflict drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.
Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have struck up a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.
While Tehran has refused to admit to holding official talks with Washington, Iran has passed a response to Trump's 15-point plan to end the war via Islamabad, according to an anonymous source cited by the Iranian Tasnim news agency.
Reporter Awais Kiyani