PM briefs President Zardari on US–Iran talks, upcoming visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkiye

• Premier Shehbaz takes President into confidence on ‘all aspects’ of Islamabad-hosted dialogue

• Briefs him on upcoming Saudi Arabia, Turkiye visits lined up to sustain momentum for regional peace

• President Zardari hails Pakistan’s ‘pivotal role’ in facilitating rare face-to-face engagement

• Credits civil-military leadership for ‘seamless coordination’ in high-stakes diplomacy

 

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday briefed President Asif Ali Zardari on “all aspects” of the recent Iran–US dialogue hosted by Pakistan, while also taking him into confidence over his upcoming visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye aimed at advancing ongoing peace efforts, state media reported.

The prime minister called on President Zardari at the President’s House, where he provided a detailed overview of the “face-to-face” talks between Iran and the United States, as well as the progress achieved through Pakistan’s mediation, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.

President Asif Ali Zardari met PM Shehbaz Sharif and lauded Pakistan’s pivotal role in mediating the Iran-US dialogue. 🇵🇰
​A major win for regional stability and global peace that also underscored Pakistan's role as a harbinger of peace. pic.twitter.com/HPi2wTqy69

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) April 14, 2026

He also apprised the president of his planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye for further diplomatic engagement to sustain and promote the peace process.

Pakistan hosted the rare direct dialogue between Iran and the US in Islamabad over the weekend — the highest-level engagement between the two sides since 1979 — in a bid to help end the US-Israeli war on Iran and push for durable peace in the Middle East and Gulf region.

While the talks concluded on Sunday without a formal agreement, they also ended without a breakdown, keeping diplomatic channels open.

There are now indications, including statements from US President Donald Trump and other sources, that negotiating teams from both countries could return to Islamabad later this week for a “next round” of the still-inconclusive talks.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz had told a federal cabinet meeting that “full efforts” were underway to resolve the conflict through diplomacy.

According to the statement, the prime minister briefed President Zardari on the various stages of the dialogue process and the progress made so far.

 

President lauds DPM Dar, CDF Field Marshal

President Zardari appreciated Pakistan’s “untiring efforts” in facilitating the high-stakes engagement, noting that the evolving regional situation carried “far-reaching impact not only on the region but also on global security, economy and politics.”

He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as all relevant state institutions, for their role in making the diplomatic initiative a “great success.”

The president highlighted that seamless coordination among all stakeholders had been instrumental in enabling the high-level dialogue.

He also underscored Pakistan’s “historic role” in promoting global peace and regional stability, saying the country had reaffirmed its standing as a “responsible and pivotal state in the international community” by hosting the talks.

President Zardari further stressed the need for continued proactive engagement with the United States, Iran, and other key regional and global powers to ensure the sustainability of the peace process and regional harmony.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, and former Senate chairman Nayyar Bukhari also attended the meeting, the statement added.