Islamabad MoU offers ‘only viable pathway’ to lasting regional peace: PM Shehbaz in meeting with Iran’s Pezeshkian
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on Iran for renewed efforts to build on understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), describing the framework as the “only viable pathway” towards enduring peace in the region, according to an official statement issued by the government.
The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.
During the warm and cordial meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran and stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral relations across areas of mutual cooperation, the government said in an official statement shared on X.
The discussions followed up on decisions reached during President Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan in June this year, with both sides expressing a desire to deepen bilateral engagement.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving regional situation.
PM Shehbaz reiterated that Pakistan would continue making sincere efforts towards regional peace and stability.
He said the recent visit of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to Tehran, and his constructive engagements with the Iranian leadership had “augured well”.
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz also invited President Pezeshkian to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
The Iranian president, in turn, invited PM Shehbaz to attend the forthcoming Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Summit, scheduled to be held in Tehran in December.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also shared a glimpse of the meeting in a post on X.
PM Shehbaz arrived in Bishkek today, where he is expected to address the SCO summit and present Pakistan’s stance on various regional and global issues, the PMO said.
According to the Government of Pakistan on X, upon arrival, the premier was received at Manas International Airport by the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev.
Earlier, the PMO said that PM Shehbaz departed for a three-day official visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to address and to participate in the SCO Plus Summit and he would also attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games as a special guest.
According to the official statement, PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of various countries participating in the SCO summit, involving “discussions on mutual relations, trade and investment, regional cooperation, and other matters of mutual interest.”
The PMO further said PM Shehbaz will hold a bilateral meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov.
“The meeting will review all aspects of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan,” the PMO’s statement said. It added that during the prime minister’s visit, “discussions will take place on trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and the promotion of people-to-people contacts.”
In an earlier post by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on X, it was announced that PM Shehbaz, during the three-day official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, would participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) meeting as well as other bilateral engagements.
During his stay in Bishkek, the prime minister would also “assume Pakistan’s Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-2027.”
On the sidelines of the SCO engagements, the statement by MoFA read that PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries. On the last day of his visit, “the prime minister will hold bilateral discussions with President Zhaparov on the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations”.
MoFA added that the two sides “will comprehensively review Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.”
PM Shehbaz and President Zhaparov “will also exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest and cooperation at regional and multilateral fora”.
MoFA concluded the statement noting that Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic “enjoy warm and fraternal relations, rooted in shared history, faith, and cultural affinity, as well as common aspirations for peace, connectivity, and prosperity in Central and South Asia.”
According to MoFA, PM Shehbaz’s visit “will provide an important opportunity to consolidate the momentum generated by recent high-level exchanges, translate political goodwill into enhanced practical cooperation, and further strengthen the enduring partnership between Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic”.
Read: Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan pledge stronger ties
The premier’s forthcoming visit would mark the second such visit by a Pakistani head of state to the Kyrgyz Republic in two months. In July, President Asif Ali Zardari went on a four-day official visit to the Central Asian country, marking the first visit by a Pakistani head of state in 21 years.
President Zhaparov visited Pakistan in December 2025, with Islamabad and Bishkek agreeing to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and regional connectivity while reaffirming their commitment to regional peace and stability.
The countries had agreed to increase bilateral trade to $200 million by 2027-28, signing a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding covering commerce, energy, mining, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, culture, customs cooperation, and the use of Pakistani ports to enhance regional connectivity. The nations also reaffirmed their support for the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project and welcomed the operationalisation of the road corridor under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement.
