ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day official visit to Iran and Türkiye from July 3 to July 5, the Foreign Office announced on Thursday.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the prime minister will first travel to Iran to attend the funeral of the country's assassinated Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The premier will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal cabinet members and senior government officials. During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz will convey condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and express solidarity with the Iranian nation during its time of grief.
Following his visit to Iran, the prime minister will travel to Istanbul at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the Foreign Office, the two leaders will discuss the full spectrum of bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation. They are also expected to exchange views on regional peace and security.
During his stay in Türkiye, Prime Minister Shehbaz will address a business conference organised by Pakistan to showcase the country's investment opportunities in key sectors, including special economic zones (SEZs), energy, trade, information technology and privatisation.
The conference will bring together prominent Turkish business leaders, investors, senior officials and members of the business community to explore new avenues for commercial cooperation.
The Foreign Office said the prime minister's visits to Iran and Türkiye reflect Pakistan's longstanding, historic and brotherly relations with both countries.
Pakistan to Continue Facilitating US-Iran Dialogue
Briefing the media, Andrabi said Pakistan has intensified diplomatic engagement with regional and international stakeholders to support the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the United States and Iran on June 18.
He noted that positive progress was achieved during the latest round of US-Iran talks held in Doha and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continuing its facilitative and mediatory role alongside Qatar.
The spokesperson added that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has remained actively engaged in high-level consultations with his counterparts to advance the diplomatic process.
Pakistan Rejects India's Position on Indus Waters Treaty
Addressing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Andrabi rejected India's attempt to link terrorism allegations with its decision to place the treaty in abeyance.
He said Pakistan firmly opposes any effort to treat the Indus river system as a strategic asset that can be controlled or withheld unilaterally, stressing that such an approach violates both international law and the spirit of the treaty.
The spokesperson maintained that water should never be used as a tool of coercion or political pressure, warning that any attempt to deny Pakistan its lawful share of water would undermine regional peace and India's international obligations.
Referring to the International Seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty held in Islamabad earlier this week, Andrabi said participants, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and international experts, called for preserving the treaty and resolving disputes through legal and diplomatic channels rather than unilateral actions.
He reiterated Dar's position that the six-decade-old treaty cannot be suspended or terminated unilaterally, describing India's move to place it in abeyance as illegal and without legal basis.