Shehbaz, Naqvi discuss Tehran visit and security situation, PMO says

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday and discussed the latter’s forthcoming visit to Tehran, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The PMO said Naqvi also briefed the prime minister on his recent engagements on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The statement said consultations were held on the interior minister’s upcoming Iran visit and that the prime minister gave guidance regarding the trip.

During the meeting, the two sides also reviewed the overall law and order situation and prevailing security conditions in the country, the PMO said. According to the statement, Naqvi informed the prime minister about steps being taken to maintain peace across the country and ensure the protection of citizens. The prime minister stressed the need for close coordination among all relevant institutions and called for a unified strategy to strengthen law and order and further improve national security.

Recent Tehran contacts

A day earlier, Naqvi met Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, according to a post by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry. The two ministers discussed bilateral ties as well as the regional situation, and also exchanged views on Pakistan-Iran relations and recent developments in the region.

The report also referred to Naqvi’s earlier two-day visit to Tehran on May 17. That trip had not been announced in advance. Diplomatic sources had said at the time that the visit was linked to Pakistan’s efforts to revive the stalled Iran-US peace process after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to American proposals.

According to diplomatic sources in Islamabad, the unscheduled visit formed part of Pakistan’s continuing shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing the negotiations from collapsing after progress made in earlier rounds of talks in Islamabad slowed sharply. The visit was officially presented as being focused on bilateral and border security cooperation.

The trip came while a fragile ceasefire, brokered earlier through Pakistani mediation, continued to hold unevenly amid intermittent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and extended disruption to global energy shipping.

Meetings with Iranian leadership

During the Tehran visit, Naqvi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Iranian media reported that his one-on-one meeting with President Pezeshkian took place at the Presidential Palace and lasted around 90 minutes. Iran’s official IRNA news agency said Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were also present.

Naqvi later met Ghalibaf, who criticised the view held by some regional governments that the United States’ presence would ensure their security. IRNA quoted the Iranian parliament speaker as saying:

"Recent events have shown that this presence not only fails to create security but also lays the groundwork for insecurity,"