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Pakistan hosts quadrilateral meeting to discuss Middle East tensions
- Meeting to focus on easing tensions amid Middle East war.
- Pakistan emerges as mediator between Iran, US.
- FMs of Turkiye, Egypt arrive, Saudi FM due in Islamabad.
Pakistan is all set to host a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt from March 29-30 in Islamabad to deliberate upon a variety of issues, including efforts to reduce the ongoing tensions in the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Islamabad has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as their war drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.
The meeting comes amid efforts to open a window for diplomacy to end the nearly month-long war between the US, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28 and has affected the broader Middle East.
In this regard, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty arrived in Islamabad a day earlier on an official visit.
Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is scheduled to arrive today.
The Egyptian foreign minister arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was warmly received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Ishaq Dar.
During the meeting, both sides held discussions on the Middle East tension as well as strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Egypt.
Two days earlier, DPM Dar confirmed that indirect talks between the United States and Iran were underway through messages being relayed by Pakistan, with Turkiye and Egypt also helping in the effort.
These efforts included direct contact between Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump on Sunday, confirmed by the White House.
Subsequently, Pakistan delivered a US proposal to Iran, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday. The source did not reveal details of the proposal or confirm if it was the 15-point US framework reported by media outlets.
However, Iran rejected the US proposal, insisting it will end the ongoing “imposed war” on its own terms and timeline, a senior political-security official told Press TV.
Iran outlined five conditions for ending the war: a complete halt to “aggression and assassinations”; mechanisms to prevent the war from being reimposed; guaranteed payment of reparations; resolution across all fronts and resistance groups; and international recognition of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.
As part of preparations, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had a detailed telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier today (Saturday), lasting over one hour.
The call was the PM’s second conversation with Pezeshkian in five days, both of which focused on de-escalation and dialogue.
“I reiterated Pakistan´s strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks on Iran, including recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, and conveyed Pakistan´s solidarity with the brave people of Iran,” he wrote on X.
PM said he also expressed his condolences on the tragic loss of precious lives and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and displaced.
“I apprised him of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic outreach — engaging the United States and brotherly Gulf and Islamic countries — to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation.”
The PM Office said separately that Pezeshkian “stressed the need to build trust in order to facilitate talks and mediation”.
‘Dialogue and diplomacy’
Separately, DPM Dar held a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and ongoing developments.
The deputy premier emphasised the need for de-escalation, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path for lasting peace.
He also underscored the importance of an end to all attacks and hostilities.
Dar said that Pakistan remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability.
Air India has launched an investigation after two of its planes were involved in safety incidents within a span of 24 hours, raising serious questions about the carrier’s aviation safety standards.
India’s flagship carrier’s flight AI2802, carrying 171 passengers, made an emergency landing at Delhi Airport after one of its engines caught fire. The cockpit crew received the fire alert, which was later confirmed to be authentic, prompting pilots to make an emergency landing.
Airbus A320 was coming from Bengaluru on Thursday night. The passengers aboard were evacuated safely and no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
The airline said, “Air India is immediately initiating a full investigation into the cause of the incident in coordination with the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Earlier, a flight from the same carrier was grounded after an alleged tailstrike at Bengaluru airport.
Airbus A321, coming from Delhi, experienced a tailstrike while landing; however, the pilots managed to safely land the plane and all the passengers and crew disembarked normally.
For the unversed, a tailstrike occurs when the rear underside of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during takeoff or landing.
These incidents come just a year after Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashing killed 241 of 242 passengers last June.
The Turkish Air Force commander appreciated Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) support in training Turkish pilots during a meeting with Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu at Turkish Air Force Headquarters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Friday.
According to the military’s media wing, ACM Sidhu, during an official visit to Turkiye, held high-level meetings with General Ziya Cemal Kadıoglu, Commander Turkish Air Force, Yasar Guler, Minister of National Defence, and Selcuk Bayraktar, Chief Technology Officer of Baykar Technologies.
The meetings reaffirmed the growing strategic convergence and shared commitment of both nations towards enhanced collaboration in defence, aerospace innovation and emerging technologies.
At Turkish Air Force Headquarters, the PAF chief discussed enhancing interoperability through joint exercises, training programmes and professional exchanges.
During his meeting with Defence Minister Yasar Guler, both sides reaffirmed the strong historical and strategic ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, while exploring deeper cooperation in training, capacity building and aerospace collaboration.
In another engagement, ACM Sidhu met the Chief Technology Officer of Baykar Technologies, Selcuk Bayraktar.
“The interaction focused on advancements in aerospace innovation, unmanned aerial systems and emerging technologies, reflecting the shared vision of both sides to pursue greater collaboration in next-generation defence technologies,” the ISPR added.
Three Lions have finalized their 26-man squad for the buzzing summer World Cup run.
The England manager Thomas Tuchel made the announcement for the final squad on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Let’s first drop some light on the surprises who have made it to the squad.
Among them are Djed Spence and Ivan Toney, who stunned the Britons. While Maguire, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden are those who couldn’t make it to the World Cup squad.
Among the major omissions was Morgan Gibbs-White, despite his strong performance for Nottingham Forest.
Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke were a must for the 26-man squad, who helped Arsenal clinch the Premier League Championship.
Defensively, Harry Maguire goes unnoticed despite hoping to make a third World Cup, with Djed Spence a fascinating call-up to cover both full-back positions.
For the center-back positions, Jarell Quansah offers depth while both John Stones and Reece James look set to play key roles despite questions regarding their fitness.
England manager Touchel has explained his selection for the World Cup in a news conference on May 22, 2026.
Tuchel said, “I think from day one we were clear in trying to select the best possible team.
“Which is not necessarily to collect the 26 best individual players. Teams win championships.”
Here’s the official 26-man FIFA World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Traffford
Defenders: Reece James, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Djed Spence.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Ezi, Jude Bellingham
Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthonmy Gordon, Harry Kane (c), Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney
The Three Lions will kick off their campaign’s first match against Croatia in Group L on June 17, 20526.
Following Ghana (June 23) and the last group match against Panama (June 27).
The biggest sporting event in the world, the FIFA World Cup 2026, is being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico starting on June 11, 2026.
For the last six decades, England has not been able to win any major tournament in North America, but this World Cup offers a golden opportunity to break the drought.
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