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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned recent drone attacks targeting civilians in the Azeri region of Nakhchivan and expressed solidarity with both Azerbaijan and T&uuml;rkiye as tensions continue to rise across the wider region. In a statement posted on X, the prime minister said he spoke with Azerbaijan&rsquo;s President Ilham Aliyev and strongly denounced the attacks that struck civilian areas in the country&rsquo;s exclave of Nakhchivan. Sharif said he conveyed Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;complete solidarity with the leadership and brotherly people of Azerbaijan&rdquo; during difficult time for the country. During the call, the prime minister also briefed Aliyev on Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing diplomatic outreach in response to the rapidly evolving security situation in Iran and the broader Gulf region. Both leaders discussed the need to reduce tensions and agreed on the importance of diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. &ldquo;They agreed on the importance of de-escalation and stressed the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; officials said, adding that the two leaders would remain in close contact as developments unfold. In a separate message, PM Sharif also expressed deep concern over a recent attack targeting T&uuml;rkiye, reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s support for Ankara amid the growing regional uncertainty. The prime minister said Pakistan stands &ldquo;in full solidarity with our brave Turkish brothers,&rdquo; warning that such incidents risk worsening an already volatile situation. Sharif reiterated that restraint and diplomacy remain essential to preventing a broader regional confrontation. &ldquo;The prime minister called for maximum restraint and emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to uphold respect for sovereignty and maintain peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; officials said. The diplomatic outreach comes as tensions across the Middle East and surrounding regions have escalated sharply following initial strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian military and leadership targets, including facilities linked to the country&rsquo;s defense establishment. The strikes triggered retaliatory attacks by Iran across parts of the Gulf and neighboring regions, raising fears that the conflict could expand and draw in additional countries. Azerbaijan has accused Iran of carrying out drone strikes in its border region, with President Aliyev describing the attacks as &ldquo;terrorism&rdquo; after an airport and a school were reportedly hit. T&uuml;rkiye has also reported a missile-related incident linked to the widening hostilities. Turkish authorities said a ballistic missile launched from Iran traveled over Iraqi and Syrian airspace before being intercepted by NATO air defense systems. Against this backdrop, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic engagement with regional partners while calling for restraint, dialogue and renewed efforts to prevent the crisis from spiraling into a wider conflict.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with President of Azerbaijan Illham Aliyev; Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is also present (Friday, November 7, 2025). (File photo: Handout/PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned drone attacks in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region and expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, urging restraint and diplomacy as regional tensions escalate following retaliatory strikes linked to the widening Iran conflict.

Pakistan condemns attacks on Azerbaijan, Türkiye urges regional de-escalation

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that the region&rsquo;s development challenges, including poverty, inequality and low intra-regional trade, necessitate a revival of regional platforms such as SAARC. &quot;Stronger regional cooperation is needed to address mounting security and climate challenges&quot;, addressing the Islamabad Conclave 2025, organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). South Asia must move towards dialogue and collective action to ensure long-term stability.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan believed regional peace was achievable only through engagement, confidence-building measures and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.&nbsp;Dar said global tensions, from Europe to the Middle East, had heightened uncertainty and placed multilateral institutions under stress. He said unilateral actions by some states had weakened global consensus. &ldquo;Multilateralism is under assault,&rdquo; he cautioned, urging countries to restore trust in diplomacy and international norms.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1996147922715734324&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=b138e5f2f4f9e81a3efd2a3c50b0a3b14f38c255&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Recalling the brief but serious military confrontation between Pakistan and India earlier this year, Dar said the incident underscored the urgency of reducing regional risks. He said the episode carried &ldquo;the potential to escalate far beyond its duration,&rdquo; and highlighted the need for crisis-management mechanisms and sustained communication.&nbsp;The foreign minister said South Asia&rsquo;s security environment remained sensitive due to the presence of three nuclear-armed neighbors, continued arms buildup and the introduction of advanced weapons systems. Long-standing disputes, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir issue, continued to pose challenges to peace, he added.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan remained committed to a cooperative regional framework that rejected bloc politics and zero-sum approaches. He said Pakistan&rsquo;s upcoming term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council would be used to advance dialogue, conflict prevention and equitable development.&nbsp;The foreign minister also highlighted the growing impact of climate change, noting that rising temperatures, floods, droughts and glacial melt were directly affecting South Asia&rsquo;s food and water security. He called for deeper regional investment in renewable energy, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan envisions a South Asia where connectivity replaces confrontation, and cooperation drives prosperity,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan stood ready to work with all regional partners to build a stable and secure future for the people of South Asia.

Security

Dar says Pakistan believes regional peace is achievable only through engagement, confidence-building and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

Ali Bin Mubarak Al-Khateer

In a world where conflict too often overshadows cooperation, the State of Qatar has pursued a path firmly anchored in the principles of peace, dialogue, and mutual respect. Qatar has earned a global reputation as a neutral and reliable mediator trusted to facilitate dialogue and bring parties together. This is not merely a policy choice of convenience; it is a constitutional commitment. Article 7 of Qatar&rsquo;s Constitution clearly stipulates mediation as a cornerstone of our foreign policy: &ldquo;based on the principle of encouraging peaceful resolution of international disputes.&rdquo; Guided by this principle, Qatar has consistently worked to manage conflicts and foster peaceful settlements, whether at the inter-state level or between states and non-state actors. Since the early 2000s, Qatar has successfully mediated ceasefires, facilitated hostage releases and prisoner exchanges, launched national dialogue processes among other initiatives, contributing to peace facilitation and agreements in many conflicts at both regional and international levels. Nowhere is Qatar&rsquo;s commitment to peace more visible than in its sustained mediation efforts regarding Palestine. Qatar has consistently supported international initiatives to alleviate humanitarian suffering and facilitate dialogue aimed at ceasefires and long-term stability. Qatar&rsquo;s efforts have included humanitarian assistance, reconstruction support, and diplomatic engagement with all relevant actors, always with the goal of protecting civilian lives and advancing the cause of a just and lasting peace.&nbsp; Our efforts are not conducted in isolation. Qatar has built partnerships with leading countries in the field of mediation, including memoranda of understanding with Sweden, Norway, and Finland. These agreements, and others with bilateral partners, enhance knowledge sharing and cooperation, ensuring that best practices inform every negotiation process. For Pakistan, a brotherly nation with whom we share deep historical and cultural ties and a common vision of regional stability, Qatar&rsquo;s mediation efforts hold special significance. Pakistan&rsquo;s own contributions to regional peace reflect its understanding of the challenges of conflict resolution. Together, our two countries can promote dialogue, cooperation, and diplomacy across South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Qatar promotes both Track I diplomacy (state-to-state negotiations) and Track II approaches that include civil society, women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and other marginalized groups. This inclusive approach reflects our belief that sustainable peace requires the voices of all stakeholders. Qatar&rsquo;s mediation affirms that peace is not the monopoly of the powerful, but the responsibility of all. Guided by respect for sovereignty and non-interference, Qatar will continue to act as a bridge-builder and engage in mediation only with the consent of all parties. This principle of consent and neutrality is precisely why Qatar has been consistently invited to facilitate some of the world&rsquo;s most complex and sensitive dialogues. At a time when the world is marked by uncertainty, Qatar remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering dialogue and reconciliation. We stand ready, with partners like Pakistan, to demonstrate that peaceful resolution is not only possible but essential for a stable and just global order. The author is the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

Articles

Qatar, guided by its Constitution, has built a reputation as a neutral mediator, advancing peace through dialogue, humanitarian action in Palestine, and partnerships with countries like Pakistan to promote regional stability and conflict resolution.

Articles tagged with "Regional stability"

Pakistan condemns attacks on Azerbaijan, Türkiye urges regional de-escalation

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

Qatar and international conflict mediation