Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that both the US and Iran had expressed confidence in Pakistan to facilitate talks between them amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

He made these remarks in a televised address after a quadrilateral moot on the ongoing Middle East crisis. The meeting in Islamabad was also attended the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt.

Dar said he had also held “very productive” bilateral meetings with the three foreign ministers, who also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“As you know, the purpose of this visit of the foreign ministers was to participate in the second meeting of consultations among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, which was held today in Islamabad.

“You may recall that our first meeting was held in Riyadh on March 19, 2026,” he added.

Sharing details of today’s quadrilateral meeting, Dar said the four foreign ministers had a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation.

“We also discussed possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region.”

Dar said the four participants also expressed concerns that the ongoing conflict was “extremely unfortunate for its devastating impact on lives and livelihood across the wider region”.

“We agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction; the unity of the Muslim ummah in these challenging times is of utmost importance,” he added.

Moreover, Dar said he briefed the visiting dignitaries on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

“The visiting foreign ministers expressed their fullest support to this initiative,” he said.

They “reaffirmed unity to contain the situation, reduce the risks of military escalation and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties”, Dar said.

“The foreign ministers advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable pathway to prevent conflict and to promote regional peace and harmony. They called for upholding principles of United Nations Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” he said.

Dar added that foreign ministers also discussed ways and means to “further strengthen mutual cooperation among the four brotherly countries”.

He thanked the visiting dignitaries for their support for Pakistan in efforts for peace in the region.

“In this regard, we decided to constitute a committee of four senior officials from the respective ministries of foreign affairs to work out the modalities through mutual understanding and consensus,” he detailed.

He thanked the visiting dignitaries for “their support to Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region”.

Dar said that under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, “Pakistan has maintained regular engagement with our regional and international partners. Pakistan has remained actively involved in all efforts and initiatives aimed at bringing this conflict to an end”.

He added that Pakistan also had a “very important relationship” with the US.

“We have remained actively engaged with the US leadership as well, as part of our efforts to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he said.

In this context, he continued, “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks”.

“Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said.

Moreover, he said, he had a detailed telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and China “fully supports Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran-US talks”.

“Similarly, I had a telephonic conversation with the secretary general of the UN. The secretary general has expressed his full support for the peace initiative by Pakistan.

“I have also held several telephone conversations with my counterparts from different countries around the world. They have all extended their full support and confidence in our efforts.”

Therefore, he said, “there is strong appreciation and support among all our friends for the efforts being made by Pakistan. We will continue our efforts with sincerity and commitment”.

“Pakistan will require prayers and the support of the entire international community for the success of its endeavour to achieve peace and bring a permanent end to this war”, he added,

Quadrilateral meeting

Convened at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the participants of the quadrilateral meeting, apart from reviewing the evolving regional situation, were also to discuss issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

After the moot ended, Dar posted on X that he was pleased to welcome the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt to Islamabad for consultations.

“Grateful for their presence at this critical moment, reflecting our strong fraternal ties. Our candid and constructive discussions focus on the evolving regional situation and advancing peace and stability, while strengthening our partnership and deepening cooperation across diverse domains,” he posted on X.

The quadrilateral mechanism is being viewed as a key diplomatic track feeding into wider efforts to end the conflict, with a focus on consolidating regional backing for de-escalation, aligning positions ahead of any possible US-Iran talks, and facilitating dialogue.

Though neither Washington nor Tehran attended the meet, it is still being viewed as a preparatory step toward a broader diplomatic opening.

Egyptian FM Abdelatty and Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan landed in Pakistan on Saturday night, while Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived on Sunday afternoon.

Several roads leading to Islamabad’s Red Zone — where key government buildings and diplomatic missions are based — were sealed off, AFP reporters said.

Security was tight and the driveway of the foreign ministry was decorated with the flags of all four countries.

Meeting with Turkish FM

Before the quadrilateral moot, Dar also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

He and Türkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in their meeting at the FO ahead of the larger talks, “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Türkiye across all sectors of mutual interest”, according to an FO press release.

During the meeting, Dar “underscored the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect”.

The deputy premier expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

“The discussions provided an opportunity to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues for strengthening the longstanding strategic partnership between the two brotherly countries,” the FO statement read.

“The two leaders also exchanged views on recent regional developments, including the evolving situation in Iran, and emphasised the importance of dialogue and sustained diplomatic engagement to promote peace and stability,” it added.

Both sides reaffirmed their “unwavering support for each other’s core national interests, agreed to maintain close coordination, and to continue working together to deepen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye”, the FO noted.

Meeting with Egypt FM Abdelatty

Prior to the discussions with the Turkish FM, Dar held a separate meeting with Egyptian FM Dr Badr Abdelatty, with the two reaffirming their countries’ “commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all domains”, the FO said in a press release.

Abdelatty’s visit is regarded as a “follow-up to recent high-level contacts between the two sides”, including discussions held in Riyadh earlier this month, as well as the Egyptian FM’s Pakistan trip in Nov 2025, during which he met with Dar, President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Field Mar­shal Asim Munir.

The FO said the meetings reflect the “close coordination between Pakistan and Egypt on evolving regional developments”.

As both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, they expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of defence and security cooperation, agreeing to further strengthen collaboration through training exchanges and other institutional mechanisms, the FO said.

They stressed the need to enhance bilateral trade and investment, with agreement on the importance of activating bilateral mechanisms, including a Joint Ministerial Commission, and promoting business-to-business linkages.

Dar “appreciated Egypt’s continued support in the health sector, particularly in combating Hepatitis-C, and welcomed ongoing collaboration in this area”, the statement further said.

Discussing the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the two sides “underscored the need for restraint, de-escalation, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy”, the FO said.

Both sides were satisfied with the positive momentum generated through recent high-level exchanges.

Dar had welcomed his Egyptian counterpart at the MoFA and “reaffirmed that Pakistan attaches great importance to its longstanding and brotherly relations with Egypt, anchored in shared history, common faith, and a convergence of views on regional and international issues”.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and strongly condemned the continued aggression by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza and the West Bank.

He appreciated Egypt’s role in facilitating humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including support extended to Pakistan’s relief efforts.

Both sides agreed to continue “close coordination” at multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Egypt to further strengthen their close and brotherly relations and to deepen cooperation across all areas of mutual interest,” the FO observed.

Meeting with Saudi FM

Dar also held a separate meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the FO said, adding that the two leaders held detailed discussions on the evolving regional and international developments.

“They underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and collective efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region,” according to the FO.

It further stated that the two sides reaffirmed “their commitment for closer engagement” and agreed to continue working together at bilateral and multilateral levels to further strengthen cooperation and contribute to regional peace and prosperity.

Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach for peace

Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic outreach as it attempts to de-escalate Middle East hostilities sparked by the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran on February 28, which have engulfed the entire region as Tehran continues its retaliatory attacks.

Islamabad has been engaging Washington, Gulf capitals and other Muslim countries in an effort to create space for talks.

The quadrilateral meeting was initially planned to be held in Turkiye, but at the last moment it was shifted to Islamabad due to Dar’s inability to travel because of his involvement in Pakistani efforts to facilitate the US-Iran talks.

A diplomatic source said talks in Islamabad could take place around Tuesday, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Another diplomat closely following the talks said there is an expectation that Washington could announce a ceasefire to coincide with the start of dialogue, in line with Tehran’s demand for confidence-building measures. However, the diplomatic source cautioned that all this remained subject to how events would unfold over the next 48 hours.

Germany’s FM Johann Wadephul on Friday claimed that a direct US-Iran meeting would take place in Pakistan “very soon”.

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Additional input from AFP