Şahbaz Şerif, Naqvi'nin İran Ziyareti Öncesi İçişleri Bakanı ile Görüştü

PM Shehbaz meets interior minister ahead of Naqvi’s Iran visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during which they discussed the latter’s upcoming visit to Tehran, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The interior minister also briefed the prime minister on his recent engagements on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the PMO added. “Consultations also took place between the prime minister and the interior minister regarding his upcoming visit to Tehran. The prime minister provided guidance related to the visit,” the statement added. A day earlier, Naqvi met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. The two ministers held an important meeting focusing on bilateral relations and the current regional situation. During the talks, both ministers exchanged views on Pakistan-Iran relations and recent regional developments, according to a post by the Interior Ministry. In the meeting today, a detailed exchange of views also took place on the country’s overall law and order situation and prevailing security conditions between the premier and the interior minister. The interior minister informed the prime minister about the measures being taken to maintain peace and security across the country and ensure the protection of citizens, the statement said. PM Shehbaz emphasised the need for close coordination among all relevant institutions and the adoption of a unified strategy to strengthen law and order and further enhance national security. On May 17, Naqvi landed in Tehran on a previously unannounced two-day visit, which diplomatic sources said was linked to Pakistan’s continuing efforts to revive the stalled Iran-US peace process after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to American proposals. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad said the unscheduled trip was part of Pakistan’s continuing shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing the negotiations from collapsing entirely after momentum generated by earlier rounds of talks in Islamabad slowed sharply. The visit, officially framed around bilateral and border security cooperation, came as the fragile ceasefire brokered earlier through Pakistani mediation continued to hold unevenly amid intermittent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and prolonged disruption to global energy shipping. During the visit, Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. According to Iranian media, the minister’s one-on-one meeting with the president was held at the Presidential Palace and lasted around 90 minutes. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were also present on the occasion, the official IRNA news agency reported. Naqvi later met Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who criticised “some regional governments” for believing that the presence of the United States would bring them security. “Recent events have shown that this presence not only fails to create security but also lays the groundwork for insecurity,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by IRNA. The US-Iran conflict is currently stalemated in a shaky ceasefire struck in April, which was followed by historic direct talks between the warring parties hosted by Pakistan. Though daily strikes throughout Iran and the Gulf have stopped since then, bursts of armed conflict have continued. Earlier today, tensions surged again when the US military said it struck radar sites in Iran after downing drones headed toward the strait. Shortly after, air raid sirens sounded in neighboring Gulf nations Kuwait and Bahrain — both US allies. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted “enemy bases in the area” with missiles in response to a US “invasion” of the country’s Sirik and Qeshm islands. The US and Iran also exchanged attacks on each other’s military targets on Monday. After the US military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran responded with a missile attack on Wednesday, damaging Kuwait’s airport and resulting in casualties. Since the conflict began, Iran has repeatedly attacked targets in the Gulf region home to US military bases. Nevertheless, diplomacy has continued with Trump under pressure to reach an agreement that would lift the US and Iranian competing blockades around the Strait of Hormuz, which have choked international oil supplies and threatened the global economy with rising prices.